Underestimated potential: solar technology on home roofs remains underestimated despite the high consent to solar energy
Underestimated potential: solar technology on home roofs remains underestimated despite the high consent to solar energy
The importance of solar technology is underestimated by the population
Stuttgart, September 30, 2024: A current survey by the Federal Association of Solar Economics (BSW-Solar) shows that the population significantly underestimates the performance of solar technology and solar energy on home roofs. Over 90 percent of those surveyed are not aware of how much sun current can be produced annually on an average family home roof. This information deficit has an impact on the expansion of solar energy in Germany.
The photovoltaics (PV) enjoys great popularity and recorded a higher extension in the first half of 2024 than in the same period of the previous year. However, the PV expansion must be further accelerated in order to achieve the target of 215 GW of solar power plant output by 2030. This corresponds to a share of the electricity consumption of around 25 percent.
The survey shows that a 70 square meter photovoltaic system can generate enough electricity to cover the entire needs of a four -person household, including the electricity for an electric car and a heat pump. Nevertheless, 93 percent of the respondents underestimate the possible solar power yield of such a system.
Despite this underestimation, 77 percent of the population consider the further expansion of solar energy to be important or even extremely important. So there is interest and potential to clarify and promote this.
Carsten Körnig, general manager of the BSW solar, comments on the survey results: "The solar technology is highly valued by the population, but their strength and performance are still underestimated. In order to further increase the willingness to invest in this climate-friendly and inexpensive source of energy, this information deficit is remedied."
Although the expansion of PV systems in Germany has increased significantly in recent years, there is currently a declining trend in the home segment. Installation companies have less demand for solar roofs. In the first half of 2024, around five percent fewer PV roof systems were put into operation in the home segment than in the previous year. Companies, on the other hand, show increased willingness to invest in solar energy, and private households also continue to express great interest in solar power plants.
In total, a new PV output of approx. 25 percent was put into operation in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year. The expansion on open spaces and company roofs achieved growth of around 55 percent each.
The survey results illustrate the need to increase awareness of solar technology and the performance of solar modules. This is the only way to further expand the expansion of solar energy and to get closer to Germany in terms of renewable energies.
further data and background information
As of July 18, 2024, a total of more than 4.25 million photovoltaic units were installed in Germany, which had a gross performance of around 90.4 gigawattpeak. However, the installation figures show regional differences. While over a third of the electricity requirements are already covered by solar systems in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg, the photovoltaic share in the city-states of Hamburg, Berlin and Bremen is only between 0.5 and one percent.
The installed performance of photovoltaic roof systems in the home segment per inhabitant also varies greatly. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg run with 668 and 467 Wattpeak per inhabitant, while the city-states have significantly lower values. The average value for Germany is around 365 Wattpeak per inhabitant.
For more information and questions, please contact:
Federal Association of Solarwirtschaft e. V.
EUREF Campus 16
10829 Berlin
presse@bsw-solar.de
Tel.: 030 29 777 88-30
Baden-Württemberg