The German Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, approved a comprehensive legislative package on Friday aimed at advancing solar energy through a series of measures.
The legislation, which now moves to the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper house, seeks to significantly ease restrictions and promote the installation of solar panels, particularly for balcony setups.
Julia Verlinden, the parliamentary leader for the Greens, one of the three parties in the governing coalition, hailed the measures as a substantial boost for renewable energy sources.
She highlighted the initiative’s potential to mitigate regulatory hurdles for solar panels, making renewable options more accessible to the public.
The legislative move, however, faced some resistance from the Free Democratic Party (FDP), the third coalition partner, which blocked a proposal aimed at promoting domestically produced solar technology.
The FDP’s opposition is largely due to concerns that such measures could undermine significantly cheaper solar units imported from China.
This legislative effort is part of Germany’s ambitious plan to generate 80% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, a significant increase from the current level of over 50%.
The country has already shut down its nuclear power plants and is swiftly phasing out coal, aligning its energy production with more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
