Photovoltaic boom in danger: congregations block solar power expansion!

Photovoltaic boom in danger: congregations block solar power expansion!

Vienna, Österreich - The discussion about the expansion of photovoltaics in Austria is becoming increasingly intensive. In particular, the balance of photovoltaic projects in Lower Austria and Styria gives rise to criticism. After two years, the use of the designated zones for solar power production has hardly been made. The main reasons are the lack of feed options and the lack of dedication by the municipalities. The industry association Photovoltaic Austria (PV Austria) calls for a nationwide renewable-expansion acceleration law (EABG) to counteract this standstill.

Herbert Paierl, CEO of PV Austria, is critical of the inability of the federal states to actively promote domestic electricity production. It calls for a uniform nationwide energy space planning instead of the currently nine different state solutions. Paierl calls the federal government to take responsibility and actively design the energy transition.

renewable energies in Germany

The Situation in Germany shows that the addition of renewable energies makes progress, but does not remain without challenges. The Federal Network Agency reports that the installed performance of Renewable-Energie-Energie-Anlagen by almost 20 gigawatt increase at almost 190. This increase of 12 percent compared to the previous year is particularly thanks to the growth in the Solar and Wind area. Renewable energies contributed impressive 254.9 terawatt hours or almost 60 percent to overall production in Germany.

The expansion of the solar performance, which was 16.2 gigawatts in 2024, is particularly noteworthy than in the previous year. Two thirds of these new solar installations were realized on house roofs or on buildings. The highest extension took place in Bavaria, where 4.0 gigawatts were installed. Ten large biomethane CHPs in Hanover were also put into operation, while Germany's largest solar system with 162 Megawatt spring 2024 started operating in Saxony.

Sustainable energy future and ecological balance

The progress and challenges in the area of ​​renewable energies are not only significant in terms of numerous, but also crucial for achieving the climate protection goals. According to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection , around 256 million tons of greenhouse gases were avoided in 2024. Nevertheless, there were declines in biomass use for heating purposes, while the use of heat pumps rose by 15 percent. The proportion of renewable energies in the final energy consumption for heat and cold is now 18.1 percent.

These developments show that the energy transition in Germany and Austria continues to face major hurdles. Even if the figures for the addition of renewable energies are positive, the need for action remains at both federal and political and regional level, to accelerate implementations and to fully exploit the potential.