In 2019, solar power systems with a capacity of 3.94 gigawatts were newly installed in Germany. This was reported by Handelsblatt with reference to the German Solar Industry Association (BSW). A year earlier, the increase in output was just under 3 gigawatts. The installation of new solar systems has thus reached the level of 2013 for the first time since the reduction of the feed-in tariff 1.
Solar power increasingly important in the energy mix
The importance of solar power is also reflected in its larger share of gross electricity generation in Germany. 7.4 percent of the electricity generated in Germany last year already came from photovoltaics, according to statista.de. By comparison, ten years earlier the figure was only 1.1 percent 2.
Heating with solar power: alternative for homeowners
Homeowners generally do not benefit from increases in solar power. The feed-in tariff remains comparatively low. Especially for older plants with high initial costs, it therefore takes a long time to amortize these costs through the feed-in tariff alone. This still leaves homeowners with the question: where to put the electricity?
Modern electric heating systems allow alternative uses for solar power. They allow to convert the environmentally friendly solar power into comfortable heat. Thanks to efficient surface storage heaters, such as Thermotec’s AeroFlow units, heat can be generated and stored during the day. Thus, it is available on a time-controlled basis in the evening and at night.
