German Solar Association confirms more storage, less solar capacity installed in Q1 2026

The German Solar Association (BSW-Solar) has analyzed the market master data register for the first quarter of 2026 and observed contrasting trends in the expansion of photovoltaic systems and battery storage. Photovoltaic installations declined by 6% to approximately 3.51 GW in the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year. The residential segment saw the most significant decline. The installation of private rooftop photovoltaic systems fell by 21% to around 850 MW – following a decline already seen in the first quarter of 2025. The commercial photovoltaic segment also experienced a decrease of about one-third compared to the same period last year.

In contrast, ground-mounted systems saw a 20 % increase, accounting for well over half of the total new installations in the first quarter, at approximately 1.97 GW.

The expansion of battery storage systems, however, is progressing. Storage systems with a capacity of more than 2 GWh were added in the first quarter, according to BSW-Solar, representing a 67% increase compared to the first quarter of the previous year. Large battery storage systems with a capacity of more than 1 MWh are a particular driver of this growth. Their capacity increased by approximately 270% to more than 1 GWh compared to the same period last year. In the commercial sector, installed storage capacity rose by around 42% to 0.16 GWh.

BSW-Solar recorded a largely constant increase of 0.74 GWh for residential photovoltaic storage systems with a capacity between 5 and 20 kWh.

Overall, the total installed capacity of stationary battery storage systems in Germany is approximately 28 GWh, distributed across roughly 2.5 million installations. This contrasts with almost 5.9 million photovoltaic systems with a total capacity of more than 121 GW.

Even though the energy storage market in Germany is growing, the Association nevertheless called for the further reduction of existing market barriers. This includes, in particular, simplified regulations for co-location storage, accelerated grid connection procedures, and grid fee regulations that do not increase the cost of operating battery storage. Furthermore, photovoltaic systems should no longer be curtailed during grid congestion and negative electricity prices; instead, the solar power should be temporarily stored in local batteries.

Regarding solar PV, the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar) again warned the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy against the planned cuts, such as the elimination of subsidies for small-scale solar installations. The association anticipates a slight, temporary increase in demand in the coming weeks. This is partly a reaction to the recent energy crisis and partly due to the anticipated pull-forward effect of the upcoming amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).

“A temporary solar boom, should it occur, is no substitute for reliable investment conditions,” said Carsten Körnig, Managing Director of BSW-Solar.

From pv magazine Germany.