By Renewable Energy Focus staff

The German Bundestag has also decided to shot down all nuclear plants apart from on reserve plant, by 2022, EuPD Research says.

For solar photovoltaics (PV), the volume-based degression and the restricted regulation of own consumption will continue to play a role in the feed-in tariff scheme.

In the amendments, which will take effect from January 2012, the proposed limitation of capacities will not come into play. The breathing cap and the semi-annual adjustment of degression will remain, however.

From 2012 the solar PV feed-in tariff will be reduced by 9% subject to total installed capacities of the previous year up to 30 September. If registered solar PV plants exceed 3.5GW, a further three percentage points reduction will be made, EuPD Research says.

For every further GW of solar PV, a reduction in steps of 3% steps up to a limit of 7.5 GW will come into effect, with a maximum degression of 15% at 7.5 GW.

If additional capacity is under 2.5 GW, however, a downward adjustment of 2.5% for every 0.5 GW will be made.

For own consumption, the regulations which should have ended by 2011, will be extended to two years, but restricted for solar PV plants up to 100 kWp.

Solar PV plants at 30-100 kWp built after 2009 have to be retrofitted with technology for remote-controlled reduction of feed-in power by January 2014.

Operators of smaller solar PV plants have the choice to limit their feed-in power at 70% or to be included in the simplified feed-in management. Compensation payments should be made for lost profits.