Solar energy boom: opportunities and challenges for our networks

Solar energy boom: opportunities and challenges for our networks

The expansion of solar energy in Germany not only has ecological advantages, but also harbors challenges for the stability of the power grids. According to a current investigation by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin, it can be seen that the tax control of these networks is increasingly difficult. The high concentration of solar power production, especially at lunchtime on sunny days, leads to potential bottlenecks, especially on the distribution level.

Challenges for the power grids

The requirement to increase the energy efficiency of the networks becomes clear. The analysis emphasizes that existing options for flexibility in the network integration of photovoltaics (PV) are not optimally used. An example of this is the installation of battery storage in combination with PV systems in many buildings. This technology gives households and companies the opportunity to increase their share of the self-produced electricity, but the design of the feed-in tariffs and budgetary power prices creates little incentives for network or market-oriented use of these storage.

Solar boom and future prospects

The demand for solar systems has increased significantly last year: According to the Federal Network Agency, the capacity has almost doubled, which rose to over 90 gigawatts. This already surpasses the goal of 88 gigawatts for 2024. To implement the ambitious goal of 215 gigawatts by 2030, however, a further increase in expansion is essential.

Dependence on global markets

However, a dark side is also hidden behind the solar boom: Germany is strongly dependent on imports from China. In recent years, an enormous production capacity for solar modules has been built up in China, which is currently insufficiently busy - this leads to falling module prices, which influences market conditions. Minimizing a local production of the solar cells makes the German market susceptible to external economic developments.

Necessity of intelligent solutions

In order to counter the challenges of the growing photovoltaic capacity, the quick installation of "intelligent" electricity meters and systems is considered essential. These modern technologies are crucial to manage the network loads and ensure that the energy transition is successfully promoted. Close cooperation between politics, business and technology is necessary in order to correct the course for future energy supply.

In summary, it can be said that the increased expansion of solar energy not only offers potential for sustainable energy supply, but also requires targeted planning and modern infrastructure in order to deal with the challenge efficiently and to reduce the dependency on international markets.