Figure for December: 2.2 million

Even before this year's energy crisis, more property owners were taking steps to become less dependent on rising energy prices – and to do something for the climate. According to the Federal Statistical Office 2.2 million photovoltaic systems on German properties and roofs in the first quarter of 2022. Compared to the first quarter of 2021, electricity feed-in increased by 34.7 percent. The nominal output in the first quarter was 58,400 megawatts. But it's not just companies that are relying on solar power.

More and more private households are sourcing their energy from the sun. While many may be primarily interested in CO2-neutral energy production, solar power is also a source of income. Statistically, an average of €174 per month is earned from electricity sales. However, the feed-in tariff for newly installed photovoltaic systems – a consequence of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) – has fallen below seven cents per kilowatt-hour.

Nevertheless, many apparently consider the use of photovoltaic systems worthwhile. In the first quarter of 2022, 8.8 billion kilowatt-hours were fed into the grid, 34.7 percent more than in the same quarter of the previous year. Photovoltaic systems accounted for 6.3 percent of total electricity generation in the first quarter of 2022.

According to a study by the IPS Eduard Pestel Institute , commissioned by the German Homeowners' Association, photovoltaic systems on single-family and two-family homes can make a significant contribution to climate protection. If photovoltaic systems were installed on the more than 16 million roofs in Germany, a total of 115 to 120 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity could be generated. This could cover almost the total consumption of around 130 TWh of all German households. The risk of a widespread blackout would also be reduced, as the electricity supply would be decentralized.

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