Germany's Solar Auction Stays Oversubscribed as Prices Ease
Germany's latest solar auction drew bids for 3,170 MW against a 2,135 MW target, with average prices dipping to 4.79 ct/kWh. New PV installations rose 1.3% in the first seven months of 2026.
This article was drafted with AI assistance from multiple sources and was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication.
Germany's Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) has published the outcome of its auction for ground-mounted photovoltaic systems and solar installations on structures other than buildings or noise barriers, commonly referred to as first-segment solar installations. The bidding window closed on 1 July 2026, and the results were made public on 19 August 2026.
The auction attracted 401 bids with a combined capacity of 3,170 MW, against a tendered volume of 2,135 MW. This corresponds to an oversubscription factor of roughly 1.5, a notable decrease from the approximately 2.0 factor recorded in the previous auction round, which concluded on 1 March 2026. Despite the high level of interest, 48 bids were excluded from the award process. Ultimately, 261 bids were successful, with a combined capacity of about 2,135 MW, nearly matching the tendered volume.
Awarded prices ranged from 4.38 to 4.97 euro cents per kilowatt-hour. The volume-weighted average award value stood at 4.79 ct/kWh, slightly lower than the 4.94 ct/kWh seen in the preceding round. Klaus Müller, President of BNetzA, commented: "The auction was again oversubscribed. The prices of the successful bids were slightly lower than in the previous auction."
The geographic distribution of awards shows Bavaria leading with 429 MW across 75 awards, followed by Baden-Württemberg with 266 MW (41 awards), Rhineland-Palatinate with 239 MW (25), North Rhine-Westphalia with 233 MW (21), and Lower Saxony with 225 MW (28).
In parallel, BNetzA data as of 16 August 2026 indicates that Germany newly commissioned approximately 9,594 MW of photovoltaic capacity between January and July 2026, a 1.3% increase compared to 9,470 MW in the same period of 2025. Regional trends varied significantly. Brandenburg experienced a remarkable surge, adding about 960 MW, up 90.5% from 504 MW a year earlier. In contrast, several western states saw declines: Bavaria installed about 2,213 MW, down 13.2% from 2,550 MW; Baden-Württemberg added about 1,166 MW, a 14.5% decrease; and North Rhine-Westphalia recorded about 1,119 MW, down 8.0%.
Looking ahead, the next auction for first-segment solar installations is set to take place on 1 December 2026.