Relief for operators of battery storage systems
The EnWG amendment: What you should know about the new regulations for electricity storage systems
The energy transition is progressing, and with it the legal landscape is changing. The latest amendment to the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG), which is before the Bundestag, brings exciting innovations, particularly for operators of PV systems, making it easier to receive subsidies for electricity stored in battery storage systems and then fed into the grid via feed-in tariffs or market premiums. We have worked out the three key options that you should be aware of.
Option 1 - Only PV electricity in the battery storage system: exclusive option
If an electricity storage system exclusively stores electricity from renewable energies and feeds it into the grid within a calendar year, operators benefit from feed-in-tariffs or market premium subsidy entitlements.
Option 2 - PV and grid power in the battery storage system: demarcation option
For battery storage systems in which both PV-generated electricity and electricity from the grid is temporarily stored, operators must have the eligible share of the electricity fed into the grid determined. This can still be determined with appropriately installed meters. This solution offers flexibility and takes into account the real conditions of mixed storage systems.
Option 3 - PV and grid power in the battery storage system: Flat-rate option
Operators of electricity storage systems who want to temporarily store both PV-generated and grid electricity and then feed it into the electricity grid can rejoice. This 3rd option introduces a fundamental change to the EnWG. The new regulation makes it possible to claim flat-rate subsidies for electricity fed into the grid from battery storage systems. This option considerably simplifies the promotion and operation of PV and battery systems.
You are entitled to a subsidy for the total amount of electricity fed into the grid at the feed-in point in a calendar year, but for a maximum amount of electricity of up to 300 kilowatt hours per calendar year per kilowatt of installed capacity of the solar systems (up to a maximum of 30 kWp). For a 10 kWp PV system, you would therefore receive a maximum of 3,000 kWh of electricity fed into the grid.
Conclusion
The amendment to the EnWG creates more clarity and flexibility for electricity storage system operators and solar system owners. Regardless of whether you rely on 100% renewable energy in your storage system or want to market some of the electricity stored in the grid - the new regulations offer a suitable subsidy model for everyone, without you having to forego the subsidies. Now it's time to hope that the draft gets through the Bundestag.
If you would like to know what benefits an intelligently networked battery storage system can bring to your system, contact us.