Sigmar Gabriel plans to end the scheme when its first term expires. Source: BMWi/Andreas Mertens
German trade association BSW Solar has called for an extension to the country’s PV energy storage incentive programme.
The call comes after it emerged that energy minster Sigma Gabriel plans to end the initiative at the end of this year by which time it will have run its planned three-year lifetime.
BSW Solar said it was “disappointed” by Gabriel’s direction not to extend funding for the programme, which was launched in 2013 to stimulate investment in storage in conjunction with PV and lower the cost of the technology.
According to BSW Solar, the incentive has driven the cost of storage units down by 25%.
But the body said this was just the first stage of the process, and that further funding was needed to achieve full cost competiveness for storage technologies.
It said the government should approve a one-off, three-year funding extension to continue the process instigated by incentive programme. BSW Solar estimated this would cost taxpayers €25 million annually.