The topics of electromobility, solar panel mandates, and solar carports in Germany – with PDFs

Photovoltaics and electromobility worldwide – Image: m.mphoto|Shutterstock.com

In 2019, Spain was the largest solar market in Europe, with 4.7 GW of new capacity installed. Spain had not reached this level since 2008. The most important solar markets for 2019 were Germany (4 GW), the Netherlands (2.5 GW), France (1.1 GW), and Poland, which almost quadrupled its installed capacity to 784 MW. This trend of increasing solar installations was observed across the EU: 26 of the 28 member states installed more solar capacity in 2019 than in the previous year. By the end of 2019, the EU will have a total of 131.9 GW, representing a 14% increase compared to the previous year's 115.2 GW.

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• Photovoltaics in Europe

Electric mobility in Norway – Image: Piotr Krzeslak|Shutterstock.com

While Norway's policies (such as tax breaks, toll exemptions, and other incentives) have proven highly effective in promoting electric vehicles, the Norwegian model cannot be readily replicated in other countries. First, the country levies substantial import duties and registration taxes, making cars significantly more expensive than in the United States. By waiving these tariffs on electric vehicles, Norway effectively subsidizes their purchase to an extent that a larger country like the US cannot afford. Second, Norway is a very wealthy country (ironically, thanks to its oil reserves) with a high level of income. According to Statistics Norway, the median household income after taxes in 2017 was nearly $60,000, roughly the same as in the United States but more than double the EU average.

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• Electromobility in Norway

Lithium-ion batteries: The world needs batteries for electromobility – Image: PP77LSK|Shutterstock.com

Global demand for lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles will increase rapidly this decade. As the estimates show, demand will be highest in China, followed by the European Union and the USA. Many automakers have committed to the Paris Climate Agreement and are also legally obligated to power an ever-increasing proportion of their fleets with batteries. The EU Commission's "Fit for 55" climate protection program is a recent example. Automakers such as Volkswagen, Daimler, and BMW are responding with sometimes quite ambitious fleet targets for reducing CO2 emissions, which should ensure continued high demand for batteries in the electric mobility sector in the coming years. Current government subsidies in Europe for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are further increasing battery demand.

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• The world needs batteries for electromobility

Testing of electromobility – Image: Rido|Shutterstock.com

The path to an industrial society committed to sustainability and aware of its responsibility towards future generations leads to a future without nuclear energy. A key element is the expansion of renewable energies. New technologies for energy generation and production, as well as for emission-free transportation, are becoming increasingly important. The promotion of these technologies is progressing steadily. Virtual power plants are already connecting a wide variety of energy producers and consumers.

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• How safe are electric cars to drive? How is the safety of electric cars tested?

Solar carport installations for electromobility – Image: Xpert.Digital & Heliographer|Shutterstock.com

Consulting and planning by Xpert.Solar

Germany sees electromobility as a driving force for a potential energy transition in the country, namely the phase-out of fossil fuels. Given that the German automotive industry is one of the most important pillars of the economy and also plays a key role globally, widespread access to electric vehicles could, at a time when industries are expected to find climate-friendly and environmentally sound solutions for production and use, be both the beginning of a new, greener era and a massive source of revenue.

In short, ideally, electric cars should lead to reduced emissions, sustainable energy efficiency, and more flexible mobility solutions for consumers. The vehicles are connected to a charging station and charged via the existing power grid. The stations can be either privately or publicly accessible. Electric cars are powered by rechargeable batteries. The types of electric cars available on the German market are hybrid, mild hybrid, battery electric, and plug-in hybrid, and Renault is the best-selling electric car brand in the country. Tesla is the world's leading electric car manufacturer.

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• Solar carport installations for electromobility

Solar carport – Image: Xpert.Digital|T.Werk GmbH

The carport, once discovered as a cheap alternative to the more expensive and increasingly cramped garages, is now increasingly becoming a lifestyle and all-rounder object of the future.

With photovoltaics and the growing importance of green electricity, the "car port" (a portmanteau of the English words "car" and "port") is evolving into a decentralized and networked solar charging station of the future. In the future, it will no longer just passively protect cars from the elements; it will also sustainably produce green electricity using rooftop photovoltaics and, ideally, store it in a battery storage system.

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• More green electricity from solar carports

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Charging infrastructure for electric vehicles – Image: BigPixel Photo|Shutterstock.com

In Germany, fossil fuels account for more than 50% of energy consumption for heating and cooling, whether for space heating or air conditioning. This includes hot water, process heat (e.g., for cooking, washing, firing, or welding), and refrigeration. Renewable energies are now playing an increasingly important role in this sector.

Besides heating and cooling, petroleum is a crucial component for transportation. Worldwide, transportation accounts for 40% of oil consumption. In the EU, this figure is even higher, exceeding 60%! The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources predicts that petroleum reserves will be depleted in 40 years if current trends continue.

For this reason alone, a timely change of thinking is necessary, and continuing with the current approach to comparing the emissions of electric cars and combustion engines is counterproductive. Electric cars are emission-free. Combustion engines are more environmentally and climate-friendly in their manufacture and production. The current Achilles' heel of the electric car is battery production. Another weakness is currently the availability of charging points and stations.

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• Charging infrastructure for electric mobility

Electromobility: Europe is racing ahead – Image: Olivier Le Moal|Shutterstock.com

Despite challenging circumstances and the negative impact of the pandemic on the automotive industry, electric vehicles made significant strides in many countries in 2020. According to estimates from industry tracker EV Volumes, plug-in electric vehicles accounted for 4.2 percent of global light vehicle sales last year, compared to 2.5 percent in 2019. While only eight countries reported an EV share of 5 percent or more in 2019, 13 countries managed to increase the share of electric vehicles in new car sales to over 10 percent in 2020. As in previous years, Norway was a positive outlier with a 75 percent share of plug-in electric vehicles, while Iceland, Sweden, and Finland were also among the top five – a testament to the rapid adoption of electric cars in the Nordic countries. China, by far the largest market for electric vehicles in terms of sales, fell out of the top 10 with a share of 6.2 percent of passenger car sales in the country. Meanwhile, the United States fell further behind with an EV share of just 2.3 percent.

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• Electromobility: Europe

Electric mobility is coming slowly, but it is coming – Image Xpert.Digital, Roman Babakin|Shutterstock.com

In 2009, there were just under 1,500 electric cars in Germany. A good decade later, in 2021, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, there were already around 309,000 electric vehicles. Not Tesla, but the Renault Zoe was the most frequently registered electric car in Germany in 2020, with almost 30,000 new registrations (second place: Tesla Model 3 – 17,438). Worldwide, however, Tesla led the ranking of electric car sales with its Model 3 at the end of 2020, with approximately 813,000 vehicles sold, ahead of VW, SAIC, and BMW. The Nissan Leaf followed in second place globally with almost 500,000 electric cars sold. The Tesla Model S held third place with just over 300,000 new registrations.

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• Electromobility is coming

Solar carport – The solar parking space canopy – Image: Xpert.Digital

More and more people are considering installing a carport with photovoltaic panels. Combined with a battery storage system, this type of solar installation is developing into a genuine alternative for achieving climate neutrality and simultaneously serving as a sustainable energy source for electric vehicles, e-bikes, and similar devices.

The acceptance and possibilities are increasingly gaining public awareness, and more and more operators of public parking lots, such as companies with large company parking areas, are considering how to contribute accordingly. The financial advantages are a decisive factor, but independent and autonomous power supply is also an important consideration.

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• Solar carport consultation – Optional with energy storage and charging station

Solar panel mandate and solar carport mandate in Germany – Image: Xpert.Digital / petovarga|Shutterstock.com

Several German states have already mandated solar power systems, specifically for:

• Residential buildings and non-residential buildings
• Private and commercial new buildings
• During roof renovations
• Open parking spaces (solar carport/ solar charging stations)

However, the situation varies from state to state. Not every state supports a solar carportrequirement or a solar panel requirement for new private buildings.

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• Solar panel and solar carport requirements in Germany

Solar carports are mandatory for new parking spaces in Baden-Württemberg – Image: Xpert.Digital

Carports are typically made of wood, steel, or aluminum, though plastic versions are also available. Carports generally have a flat roof, while higher-quality models feature more elaborate designs such as a gable roof, hipped roof, or barrel roof. A carport can be open on all sides, and elements are also available that allow individual sections to be fully or partially enclosed. These elements can be made of sheet steel, wood, glass, WPC (wood-plastic composite) panels, HPL (high-pressure laminate) panels, or polycarbonate twin-wall sheets. Unlike a garage, a carport is open on at least one side. Common roofing materials include corrugated metal sheets, trapezoidal metal sheets, or their transparent counterparts, corrugated or trapezoidal light panels. Open carports without a roof are often used to visually define parking spaces, distinguishing them from surrounding open areas. Increasingly, the open roof surfaces are also being used for solar panels and extensive green roofs.

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• Solar carports are mandatory for new parking spaces in Baden-Württemberg

Are photovoltaic systems mandatory in North Rhine-Westphalia? – This should interest you – Image: Xpert.Digital & Butusova Elena|Shutterstock.com

In 2019, over 16 percent of North Rhine-Westphalia's electricity consumption was supplied by renewable energy sources. This amount alone could completely power Bremen, Hamburg, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The solar cadastre of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV) calculated the solar potential of 68 terawatt-hours of electricity per year on the roofs of North Rhine-Westphalia. In reality, however, only 4.5 terawatts of solar power were generated using photovoltaics in 2019 – a meager 6.6 percent of the available potential.

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• Solar panel mandate in North Rhine-Westphalia

Solar panel mandate or solar carport mandate in Rhineland-Palatinate – Image: Xpert.Digital / nnattalli|Shutterstock.com

“The solar panel mandate for new commercial buildings and new commercial parking lots with more than 50 parking spaces is an important milestone in achieving our PV expansion target. To generate our electricity from wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower by 2030, we need to at least triple the share of solar energy to 7,700 megawatts. The solar panel mandate will significantly support us in this endeavor,” said Climate Protection Minister Anne Spiegel. “As the Climate Protection Ministry, we will support companies in implementing the solar panel mandate: A more detailed state regulation and advisory services, including those offered by the Rhineland-Palatinate Energy Agency, are in the planning stages,” Spiegel continued.

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• Solar panel mandate in North Rhine-Westphalia

Solar panels will be mandatory for carports in Schleswig-Holstein! – Image: Xpert.Digital

Last year's climate protection and energy transition report revealed a gap in the expansion of renewable energies. This gap is to be largely closed through a greater expansion of photovoltaics (PV). Recent studies indicate a potential for 7 to 9 gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity on buildings in Schleswig-Holstein; currently, only 1.1 gigawatts have been realized. "We want to significantly advance the necessary expansion of renewable energies with photovoltaic systems on roofs, parking lots, and ground-mounted installations. Photovoltaic systems are economically attractive for investors and contribute to climate protection. This strengthens both the ecology and the economy in the state," said Albrecht. A solar panel mandate for solar carports in Schleswig-Holstein will be introduced.

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• Solar panels will be mandatory for carports in Schleswig-Holstein!