Germany installed about 17.5 GW of new PV capacity in 2025, taking cumulative installations past 117 GW by year end, according to preliminary data from the German Solar Association.
Frankfurt, Germany
Image: Leonhard Niederwimmer, Unsplash
From pv magazine Germany
Germany added approximately 17.5 GW of new PV capacity in 2025, broadly in line with the 17.7 GW installed in 2024, according to preliminary analysis from the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar). Final figures from the Market Master Data Register are not yet available, as newly commissioned systems can be reported up to four weeks after installation.
Capacity additions varied significantly by segment. Ground-mounted PV systems accounted for about 8 GW of new capacity, while large rooftop systems contributed 3.7 GW. Residential rooftop installations added around 5.2 GW, and plug-in balcony systems contributed roughly 500 MW.
Installations from solar parks and balcony-mounted systems increased by about 25% year on year. In contrast, commercial and industrial rooftop systems above 30 kW declined by around 5%, according to BSW-Solar. Demand from private households and small businesses fell more sharply, with rooftop systems up to 30 kW dropping by 25% after reaching 6.8 GW in 2024.
BSW-Solar said the overall pace of PV expansion slowed in 2025. Germany aims to reach 215 GW of installed PV capacity by 2030, requiring annual additions of around 20 GW in the coming years. With total installed capacity now at about 118 GW, the country has achieved roughly 55% of that target.
Against this backdrop, BSW-Solar has urged the federal government not to further weaken the regulatory framework. The association noted that the Solar Peak Act reduced subsidies for rooftop systems at the beginning of 2025. It also pointed to repeated statements by Economics Minister Katherina Reiche calling for further subsidy reductions on the grounds that newly installed small rooftop systems no longer require public support.
Carsten Körnig, managing director of BSW-Solar, said the federal government should instead remove remaining market barriers and avoid further deterioration of the funding environment for PV systems.
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