Policies

2014 Amendment of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG 2014)

Source: JOIN IEA/IRENA Policy and Measures Database
Last updated: 2 April 2024

The 2014 Amendment of the Renewable Energy Sources Act -EEG- entered into force on 1st of August 2014. The objective of the 2014 amendment to the EEG is to continue steady deployment of renewable energy in Germany in a cost efficient manner by integrating RES more to the market.

RES gross electricity consumption share is set to increase:

  • to 40%-45% by 2025
  • to 55% - 60% by 2035
  • to 80% by 2050

RES technology expansion corridors are:

  • Onshore wind energy – 2.5 GW of net additions annually;
  • Offshore wind energy – 6.5 GW to 7.7 GW additions until 2020 (800 MW per year);
  • Solar PV – 2.5 GW annual additions;
  • Biomass – 100 MW annual additions;
  • No expansion targets were established for other RED technologies.

Tracking of the RES additions will be done through created for this purpose Register administered by the Federal Network Agency.

Mandatory direct marketing:

In order to better integrate renewable energy into the market, operators of new renewable energy plants are obliged to market their generated electricity directly, either independently or through a direct marketer. The EEG 2014 contains two ways of direct marketing:

1. direct marketing with the purpose of receiving a market premium (subsidised direct marketing) or

2. direct marketing without receiving a subsidy (other direct marketing).

The ability to reduce the EEG surcharge (so-called green energy privilege, Sec. 39 EEG 2012) by way of direct marketing is no longer available. The possibility of a pro rata direct marketing of energy persists.

Market premium:

The payment of the market premium requires that the energy is direct marketed. The Market Premium consists of the fixed statutory tariff of the respective renewable energy plant minus its technology-specific monthly market value.

Management Premium will be no longer granted for direct marketing for wind and solar generators.  

Following plants are exempted from obligatory direct marketing:

  • Plants with a capacity no larger than 500 kW commissioned before 1st January 2016 and
  • Plants with a capacity no larger than 100  kW commissioned before 31st December 2015.

Tenders:

Starting from 2017 renewable energy generators will receive financial support via tenders. The rules of tenders are not yet agreed on.

Feed-in tariffs for small scale generators:

RES generators with a capacity up to 500 kW commissioned before 1st of January 2016 are supported via fixed feed-in tariffs.

Plant operators may switch on a monthly basis between feed-in tariffs and a market premium or may benefit proportionately from the feed-in tariffs or the market premium.

Domestic consumption surcharge:

In contrast to the EEG 2012, according to which energy produced in generators owned by the energy consumer ("auto supply") did not pay the EEG charges, all energy generators have to pay the EEG charges. Existing self-sufficiency plants will be protected by far reaching provisions from this fundamental system change. For new self-sufficient energy plants, a number of exceptions are intended from this new imposition of the EEG charges.

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