The dark side of the solar boom – the grid is at its breaking point

Dusseldorf Many Germans fear the high electricity prices and therefore rely on their own solar system. Network operators such as Westnetz, Mitnetz and others are piling up applications for new connections: “The connection requests from our customers at our distribution network subsidiary Westnetz more than doubled in 2022 – to around 70,000 applications,” confirms a spokeswoman for the Essen-based company Westenergie Request from the Handelsblatt.

The network operator expects a sustained boom. By 2030, the number of connected systems is expected to triple to 15 gigawatts – today it is just five gigawatts.

“Unfortunately, the expansion of renewables and the grid expansion required for this are not yet synchronous,” said the Westenergie spokeswoman. In practice, this means that in many places the grid is not yet strong enough for the rapidly increasing number of solar systems.