Recently, Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) issued a tender announcement for a new round of large-scale ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) projects, seeking a total of 2.266GW in new installed capacity. As a key component of Germany’s 2025 public renewable energy tendering plan, this move signals an accelerated expansion of its PV industry.
The maximum feed-in tariff (FIT) for this tender is set at 6.8 euro cents per kilowatt-hour, with the bidding deadline set for July 1st. Unlike previous tenders, this round coincides with the upcoming implementation of Germany’s “Solar Package 1” (SolarPaket 1) reform. Under this policy overhaul, the bidding capacity and project scope are expected to expand significantly. If the reform is ultimately approved, the bidding limit for individual projects will increase from 20MW to 50MW. The Federal Network Agency stated that this reform is still pending approval from the European Commission and is expected to be finalized by June 30th.
The policy reform not only raises the bidding limit but also includes agricultural land in the bidding scope. The German Bundestag passed the SolarPaket 1 reform bill last month, which, in addition to relaxing bidding capacity limits, also expands the types of land available for development and increases the FIT for commercial rooftop PV systems. This tender also explicitly includes agricultural land, arable land, and grassland projects in “economically underdeveloped regions” for the first time. Notably, the total national development limit for agricultural land projects is set at 80GW, paving the way for long-term value release in rural areas and potentially driving economic development in these regions, achieving a win-win for energy and agriculture.
Germany’s ground-mounted PV tenders have been consistently oversubscribed in recent years, with the last three rounds all seeing significant excess bids. In particular, the tenders in September 2024 and February 2025 received nearly double the tendered capacity in bids. Prices have also shown a clear downward trend: the average winning FIT for the latest tender, which concluded in April 2025, dropped to 4.66 euro cents per kilowatt-hour, the lowest since 2019 and breaking the record set just this February. According to the plan, the Federal Network Agency will tender a total of 9.9GW in ground-mounted PV capacity over three rounds in 2025. Faced with sustained project enthusiasm and falling bid prices, such auction mechanisms have become a key policy tool for expanding Germany’s PV capacity. They not only effectively stimulate market vitality but also drive down PV costs through competitive mechanisms, enhancing the economic viability of PV power generation.
In addition to advancing auction mechanisms, Germany’s overall PV market is also exhibiting astonishing growth rates. The Federal Network Agency stated that as of February 2025, Germany’s cumulative PV installed capacity had surpassed the 100GW milestone, with an average monthly increase exceeding 1GW over the past two years, demonstrating strong systemic expansion capabilities. This achievement is inseparable from the German government’s continuous investment and policy support in the renewable energy sector. Against the backdrop of accelerating energy transition in Europe and continued policy towards PV, Germany is steadily building a low-carbon energy system anchored by solar energy through tendering systems and structural reforms.
