Solar PV on the rise on German cities' rooftops – report
Clean Energy Wire
Solar energy expansion in major German cities is picking up speed, according to a report by renewable electricity provider LichtBlick, which looks at growth in installed roof-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in 14 metropoles each year. Essen in western Germany is the country's new "solar capital" with a "solar factor" of 137.9 percent. Cologne, also in the west of the country, came in at 110 percent, with northern Hanover and Leipzig in the east also overshooting 100 percent, according to LichtBlick's "SolarCheck 2024."
LichtBlick calculates the "solar factor" by comparing the ratio of the area of newly installed solar systems to newly constructed roof area on residential and commercial buildings. A city can break the 100 percent mark when the total area of new modules exceeds new roof area. This happens when newly installed capacity on existing buildings is included in the market data register.
Germany's average solar factor is 70 percent, according to Lichtblick, with 12 out of the 14 cities analysed, including Berlin and Hamburg, improving their performance compared to last year. Bremen in the north and southern Nuremberg did worse.
Solar output per 1,000 inhabitants also increased by 34.7 percent on average compared to last year, meaning more solar power for more households. The reason for this development is a "further increase in the output" of newly installed solar systems, said LichtBlick.
The output of all installed solar power systems amounted to more than 90 gigawatts (GW) by the end of June. The German government is targeting a total solar power capacity of 215 GW by 2030. LichtBlick called for nationwide, uniform rules making roof-top solar panels mandatory.
