Germany Solar Subsidies 2026: EEG, KfW 442 and States

Last updated: November 2026.

A German homeowner no longer gets an upfront federal grant for rooftop solar. The money now comes from a falling feed-in tariff, a 0% VAT rate and a bank loan. This guide shows each one with the rate, the date and the official source. This guide covers residential rooftop solar. If you own a commercial or industrial roof, read the guide to commercial solar incentives in Germany. Every figure below names its source and its date.

Germany Solar Subsidy News Today: Latest Updates (2026)

Sources: Bundesnetzagentur, EEG funding and rates, Bundesnetzagentur, solar plant FAQ, Berlin Senate press release and the Bavarian economics ministry release.

What MiSpeL Means for Home Batteries

MiSpeL is the Bundesnetzagentur’s rule on the market integration of storage and charge points. According to the Bundesnetzagentur, it adds two options that allow a partial EEG payment for energy that went through a storage unit that also takes grid power, and a partial levy exemption. Until the end of September 2027 the grid operator and the meter operator must agree before you use either option. The flat-rate option also has to wait for state-aid approval of its legal basis. The older exclusivity option, for storage that only takes solar power, still applies. If you plan to charge a battery from the grid, ask your installer which option the project uses.

Solarpaket I and Plug-in Solar

The Solarpaket changes to the EEG took effect on 16 May 2024, according to the Bundesnetzagentur. For plug-in solar devices (“Steckersolargeräte”) first operated from that date, special rules apply when the module output is at most 2,000 W and the inverter output is at most 800 VA. Those devices are normally assigned to “unentgeltliche Abnahme”, which means the grid operator takes the surplus but pays no feed-in tariff. The Solarpaket also planned a 1.5 ct/kWh increase for plants from 40 kW. The Bundesnetzagentur notes that it takes effect only after EU state-aid approval, and that this approval has not been granted.

Feed-in Tariff Germany 2026 (Einspeisevergütung)

The EEG feed-in tariff pays a fixed rate per kWh for the power you send to the grid. Two things set your rate: the size of the plant and the date it was commissioned. The Bundesnetzagentur says the rate depends on the commissioning date. Registration is a separate step and does not set the rate. Under section 25 of the EEG 2023, payment runs for 20 years from commissioning, extended to 31 December of the twentieth year.

Rates for Systems up to 10 kWp on Buildings

Source: Bundesnetzagentur, archive of EEG rates. Values are the Bundesnetzagentur tables rounded to two decimals. The rate falls by about 1% every six months. The 8.11 ct/kWh figure sometimes quoted is the rate for plants commissioned from 1 February to 31 July 2024.

Rates by System Size, 1 August to 31 December 2026

Source: Bundesnetzagentur, EEG funding and rates. Partial feed-in means you use some of the power yourself and export the surplus. Full feed-in pays a higher rate but you export all of it.

The size rows are tiers, not one rate for the whole plant. In the Bundesnetzagentur’s rate workbook, the first 10 kWp of a building system earn the first row, the next 30 kWp the second row, and the remaining capacity the third. A 30 kWp roof therefore earns a blend of the first two rows.

Worked example: each 1,000 kWh exported from a plant of up to 10 kWp, commissioned in August 2026 with partial feed-in, earns 1,000 × EUR 0.0770 = EUR 77.00. The same 1,000 kWh under full feed-in earns 1,000 × EUR 0.1222 = EUR 122.20.

For plants up to 100 kW, the operator can instead sell the power through a direct marketer and receive the market premium, according to the Bundesnetzagentur. Direct marketing is mostly a commercial choice. See the commercial guide.

Is Solar VAT-Free in Germany?

Almost. Under section 12(3) of the VAT Act (UStG), the VAT rate is 0% on the supply of solar modules, essential components and storage units for a PV system, and on its installation. The condition is that the system is installed on or near a home or a public-benefit building. The law treats this as met when the gross capacity in the Marktstammdatenregister is at most 30 kWp. The text is available at gesetze-im-internet.de. A 0% rate is not the same as an exemption, but for a homeowner the invoice carries no VAT either way.

KfW Solar Subsidy: 442 and 270

KfW 442: Closed

KfW 442, “Solarstrom für Elektroautos”, opened on 26 September 2023. It paid fixed amounts for a PV system, a battery and a charging station installed together at an owner-occupied home. The maximum was EUR 9,600, or EUR 10,200 for a bidirectional system. KfW’s product page now says you can no longer apply for it. People who already have a commitment keep their reserved funds. Sources: KfW announcement, September 2023 and the KfW 442 product page.

KfW 270: Renewable Energies Loan

KfW 270 is a loan, not a grant. You apply through your bank. According to the KfW fact sheet (May 2025 edition):

• Rooftop and facade PV and battery storage for rooftop PV are eligible. A battery can also be financed as a retrofit on its own.
• Up to 100% of eligible costs can be financed. The maximum is EUR 150 million per project.
• The interest rate follows the capital market and is fixed on the day of commitment. Your bank sets your rate from your finances and the security you offer.
• A person who feeds part of their solar power into the grid counts as a business operator in this programme and can apply.
• If you claim the EEG feed-in tariff, KfW can finance the plant only with a loan that carries no state aid.

Check current terms with your bank. The KfW product page and the fact sheet differ on some term and rate details.

Bundesländer Grants: State-Level Programs

Sources: IBB, SolarPLUS, IBB Business Team, SolarPLUS, the Berlin press release and the Bavarian release linked above. IBB says the exact rates are in the funding guideline and depend on the PV system’s output. We could not confirm whether the 2026 budget is still available, so check before you plan around it.

We did not find a reliable current source for the other states, so we do not list them. Programmes open and close often, and cities and utilities add their own. Check the federal Förderdatenbank, your state’s programme pages and your municipality before you sign a contract.

Can You Stack Solar Subsidies in Germany?

Not freely. Section 80a of the EEG 2023 says federal or state investment grants may be paid alongside an EEG payment only to the extent that the combined payments plus the revenue from selling the power do not exceed the cost of generating that power. KfW tells borrowers who claim the EEG tariff that only the state-aid-free loan is available. Ask each programme how it treats the feed-in tariff before you combine them.

PV Installation Cost Per kWp in Germany

The Verbraucherzentrale NRW publishes a price index of mean offers. It is based on 71 PV offers from January 2025 to August 2026 and 70 battery offers from the same period, and the page is dated 28 August 2026. The prices cover the PV part only, without a battery, emergency power or work on the house wiring. The Verbraucherzentrale itself says the table shows how strongly price depends on size and is not a guide to current quotes.

Source: Verbraucherzentrale, “Was kostet eine Photovoltaikanlage?” (28 August 2026).

Worked example at class averages, for illustration only: an 8 kWp system in the “over 6 to 8 kWp” class is 8 × EUR 1,820 = EUR 14,560. A 10 kWh battery in the “over 8 to 10 kWh” class is 10 × EUR 410 = EUR 4,100. Together that is EUR 18,660, with 0% VAT. A real quote can sit well above or below these means.

Payback Period

We do not publish a regional payback table, because we found no current source for one. To work out your own payback, use this formula: net cost ÷ annual benefit. The annual benefit is the grid power you avoid buying plus the feed-in income. Grid power you avoid is your self-consumed kWh × your tariff. Feed-in income is your exported kWh × the rate in the tables above. A generation and financial tool can run the numbers with your tariff. Use shading analysis first, because a shaded roof changes the yield.

Application Process and Common Errors

1. Compare written quotes. The Verbraucherzentrale advises getting several, because prices for the same size vary widely.
2. Request grid connection. The grid operator must be told before connection. The installer usually handles this.
3. Check grant rules before you order. Each programme sets its own rules on timing. Read them before you sign.
4. Commission the plant. The commissioning date sets your feed-in rate.
5. Register in the Marktstammdatenregister within one month of commissioning. The Bundesnetzagentur says feed-in payments become due only after registration and complete billing data. A missed registration alone does not trigger a penalty payment under the EEG 2023, but a missed registration together with a missed annual EEG report (due by 28 February of the next year) does.
6. Expect monthly advance payments. The grid operator must pay advances by the 15th of each month, and the final settlement follows in the next calendar year.

A plant commissioned on 31 July falls in the earlier rate period and one commissioned on 1 August falls in the next. Watch the 1 February and 1 August dates.

How Often Do German Solar Incentives and Subsidy Programs Change?

Feed-in rates change every six months, on 1 February and 1 August, according to the Bundesnetzagentur tables. KfW 442 opened on 26 September 2023 and is now closed. State programmes open and close on their own timetables. Berlin’s relaunched in January 2026, and Bavaria’s has ended. The EEG 2023 applies to new plants until 31 December 2026, and a successor is in parliament, so rules for plants commissioned from 2027 are not settled.

Other Markets

For a wider view, see the Europe solar subsidies tracker. For a German return example, read the Bavaria residential ROI case study. To put these rates into a customer proposal, book a SurgePV demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a solar subsidy in Germany in 2026?

Yes, but not as a federal upfront grant for a typical rooftop system. KfW 442 is closed. Support comes from the EEG feed-in tariff (7.70 ct/kWh for partial feed-in up to 10 kWp, commissioned 1 August to 31 December 2026), a 0% VAT rate on systems up to 30 kWp, KfW 270 loans, and some state or city programmes such as Berlin SolarPLUS.

Is solar VAT-free in Germany?

In effect, yes. Section 12(3) of the VAT Act sets a 0% rate on the supply and installation of PV systems and their batteries for homes and public-benefit buildings. The law treats the condition as met when the system is up to 30 kWp in the Marktstammdatenregister.

What is the feed-in tariff for solar in Germany in 2026?

For a building-mounted system up to 10 kW commissioned from 1 August to 31 December 2026, the Bundesnetzagentur lists 7.70 ct/kWh for partial feed-in and 12.22 ct/kWh for full feed-in. The rate for plants commissioned from 1 February to 31 July 2026 was 7.78 and 12.34. Payment runs for 20 years from commissioning.

What is the KfW solar subsidy in Germany?

KfW 442, a grant for PV, battery and charger of up to EUR 10,200, no longer accepts applications. The KfW product that is open is the 270 loan, which you request through your bank. It can finance rooftop PV and batteries, up to 100% of eligible costs.

Can Germany solar subsidies be stacked?

Only within limits. Section 80a of the EEG 2023 allows federal or state investment grants next to an EEG payment only while combined payments plus power revenue stay below generation cost. KfW offers only a state-aid-free loan to borrowers who claim the EEG tariff. Ask each programme before you combine them.

Is the German solar subsidy ending in 2026?

The EEG 2023 applies to plants commissioned until 31 December 2026, and the Bundesnetzagentur says a successor law is in parliament. We cannot say what the rates for 2027 will be. Plants already commissioned keep their rate for 20 years under section 25 of the EEG 2023.

What does solar cost in Germany?

The Verbraucherzentrale NRW price index (28 August 2026, 71 offers) lists mean prices from EUR 2,090 per kWp for 4 to 6 kWp systems down to EUR 1,010 per kWp above 16 kWp, without battery. Batteries average EUR 360 to EUR 510 per kWh by size. The Verbraucherzentrale says the table shows size effects, not current quotes.