Attention early adopters: If you installed a photovoltaic system with a lucrative EEG subsidy in the early 2000s, you can still be a pioneer today with photovoltaic heating.

Continue benefiting from your solar power even after the EEG subsidy

Is your photovoltaic system no longer subsidized? Here, you'll find out how you can continue to profitably use your solar power from a post-EEG system and actively shape the energy and heat transition.

Since 2021, more and more photovoltaic system owners have been falling out of the very attractive EEG subsidy. The EEG (Renewable Energy Sources Act) ensured a guaranteed feed-in tariff for the solar pioneers in Germany. What can you do as the owner of an Ü20 system to continue benefiting from your photovoltaic system?

Continued full feed-in at a lower tariff

The energy fed into the grid will be compensated at the "market value solar" rate instead of the EEG tariff. As of April 2024, this rate is 3.8 cents per kilowatt-hour! With a gas price of 7.7 cents/kWh (as of April 2024 in Germany), heating water with photovoltaic power becomes much more cost-effective compared to gas, making photovoltaic heating worthwhile.

Direct marketing via energy community

Another option is to join or form an energy community. This can be beneficial in areas where few neighbors have photovoltaic systems, though it can be quite bureaucratic. The search for buyers and the revenue from direct marketing only make sense for larger systems.

Repowering the old photovoltaic system

Repowering involves replacing some components or adding further optimizations (e.g., purchasing a battery storage system, replacing an inverter). This incurs additional costs, which may not be worth it over the lifespan of the photovoltaic modules. If the modules themselves are replaced, the financial burden is even higher, but the system is set for long-term operation. However, there are simpler and more cost-effective ways to continue operating your photovoltaic system effectively.

Self-consumption by adjusting behavior

Switching a system designed for full feed-in, typical for EEG tariffs, to self-consumption can be achieved with minimal one-time installation costs. Adjusting user behavior—when to run the dishwasher, washing machine, or dryer—may slightly increase self-consumption, but typically, no more than about one-third of the photovoltaic power is used. Consistent adjustment is often inconvenient or impossible without an additional energy management system.

Photovoltaic heating maximizes self-consumption

Is there an easier way to increase self-consumption? Yes: generating heat from photovoltaic power. This is simple and doesn't require behavior adjustment, maintaining high comfort levels. With a linearly controlled heating rod, excess electricity—when switching a PV system to self-consumption—can be used for heating purposes in addition to household consumption. This minimal investment can increase self-consumption from about 30% to up to 85%.