Solar Power Capacity in Germany Continues Strong Growth
Germany has witnessed a significant surge in solar energy adoption, with the installed capacity of photovoltaic systems reaching approximately 4.2 million units in March 2025. This represents a 23.7 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year, with the total installed capacity rising by 21.9 percent to around 98,300 megawatts, according to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
In March 2024, the country had around 3.4 million photovoltaic systems with a total capacity of roughly 80,700 megawatts. These figures encompass all systems connected to the public power grid and equipped with electricity meters to track energy feed-in. Smaller installations, such as balcony power plants, are generally not included in these statistics.
The operation of these solar installations resulted in approximately 59.5 million megawatt hours of electricity being fed into the grid in Germany in 2024, accounting for a record 13.8 percent of the total domestic electricity production – a notable increase from the 12.0 percent share in 2023. July 2024 marked a record month for solar power, with nearly 8.7 million megawatt hours generated, representing over a quarter (27.4 percent) of the total electricity fed into the grid during that month.
Recent data from the first four months of 2025 indicates a slowdown in the import of photovoltaic systems. Imports of solar cells and modules decreased by over 21.5 percent to around 402 million euros between January and April 2025, compared to the same period last year. Exports of photovoltaic systems also experienced a decline, falling by nearly one-third (32.9 percent) from approximately 189 million euros to just under 127 million euros during the same timeframe.
In 2024, Germany imported photovoltaic systems valued at roughly 1.8 billion euros, a nearly 49.2 percent decrease from the previous year. China remains the dominant source for these systems, accounting for 85.8 percent of imports. The Netherlands (7.5 percent) and Denmark (1.2 percent) followed as the next largest import origins.
The value of photovoltaic system imports in 2024 was more than three times greater than the export value. Exports in 2024 amounted to approximately 510 million euros, a decline of over 56.6 percent compared to the previous year. These exports were primarily directed towards European countries, with Austria (12.8 percent), Italy (11.3 percent) and Switzerland (11.2 percent) being the key recipients in 2024.
Production of solar modules for photovoltaic systems in Germany also saw a significant decrease in the first quarter of 2025, falling by over 50.7 percent compared to the same period last year, to around 227,000 units. The decline in solar collector production was less pronounced, with a decrease of 10.3 percent from approximately 21,300 units in the first quarter of 2024 to around 19,100 units in the first quarter of 2025.
The trend of declining production extends back to 2024, with approximately 1.5 million solar modules produced for sale, a more than 56.2 percent reduction from the 3.5 million modules produced in 2023. Solar collector production in 2024 reached nearly 88,900 units, a decrease of over 53.7 percent compared to the 192,000 units produced in 2023, according to Destatis.
