Reasons of the Increased Residential Solar and Storage system

According to BSW-Solar, the number of residential solar and storage systems installed in Germany increased 52% in 2022 compared with the previous year. BSW found that the increased installation of solar PV by homeowners has been rise in energy prices, and consumer’s desire for long-term stability and predictability. In fact, the association’s survey of 1,022 German homeowners found that 61% cited rising electricity bills as the leading reason for adopting rooftop solar. The second highest reason, with 52%, was the desire for independence from energy suppliers.

The growth in storage systems comes from similar motivation, but with the added rise in electric vehicle and heat pump adoption making home batteries more appealing. A study from SolarPower Europe this month found that the combination of rooftop PV and heat pumps could save Germans 62% on their energy bills compared with households relying solely on power from the grid and a gas boiler.

Some discussion has been had around the importance of decentralising grids in developed countries like Germany and the US in order to maximise energy security and solar deployment potential. Research from EY in November said that distributed generation and decentralisation are keys to the energy transition in countries with developed infrastructure. Storage adds yet another layer to the potential independence and security of energy consumers.

Similarly, the global PV bellwether state of California has been pushing for a shift from standalone PV to residential solar-plus-storage with its controversial NEM 3.0 legislation which is due to come into effect next month.

Looking to 2023, the association foresees the rooftop boom continuing. “The order books are well filled”, said general manager Carsten Körnig, and double-digit growth in solar and storage is expected once again in 2023.