Solar expansion in North Rhine-Westphalia declining - Solar expansion in North Rhine-Westphalia shows signs of decline
The solar boom in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has experienced a significant slowdown in the first half of 2021. According to the Renewable Energy Association North Rhine-Westphalia (LEE NRW), the decrease in new solar power installations in NRW was more pronounced than the national average.
The LEE NRW attributes the weak expansion in NRW to the installation of solar power on open land. In the first half of the year, only 12% of the newly installed capacity in NRW came from open land, while in Bavaria, it was around 57%.
Despite the slowdown, NRW still ranks third in the federal state comparison for new solar power capacity installation, behind Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Bavaria currently has the highest new solar power capacity installation with 1,943 MW, followed by Baden-Württemberg with 1,039 MW. In the first half of the year, solar power capacity installation in NRW was 1,003 MW less than in Bavaria and 96 MW less than in Baden-Württemberg.
The districts of Steinfurt and Borken had the largest increases in solar power capacity installation in the first half of the year, according to the LEE analysis. More than 46,000 new solar power generation facilities were installed in NRW in the first half of the year, with around 89,000 in total. However, only 4,000 of these were balcony power plants, which made up just under 6% of the newly added solar capacity.
The LEE NRW managing director, Christian Vossler, emphasized that these funding pots should be replenished as soon as possible. He also called on the black-green state government to provide stronger support to municipalities in the approval and planning process to facilitate the installation of solar power on open land.
The slowdown in solar power capacity installation in NRW is due to several regulatory, environmental, and infrastructural challenges. Political and environmental concerns have led to restrictions on land use, especially regarding forest areas. Stricter planning and approval requirements affect renewable projects, as seen in offshore wind energy, which faces increased environmental protection regulations. Rapid growth in solar power requires corresponding grid expansions, but grid operators face challenges increasing capacity quickly enough. Additionally, NRW is a heavily industrialized, population-dense region historically reliant on coal and fossil fuels, making the transition to renewables like solar more complex.
No recent exact data was found attributing the slowdown exclusively to economic or Covid-related supply chain issues, so the explanation centers on regulatory, environmental, and infrastructure constraints supported by the available 2025 and 2024 analyses.
References:
[1] Solarbranche.de, "Solarbranche.de: Die Solar-Blüte in NRW schwächt ab", 2021. [2] Federal Network Agency, "Evaluation of data from the Federal Network Agency", 2021. [3] LEE NRW, "LEE NRW: Die Solar-Blüte in NRW schwächt ab", 2021. [4] German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, "Investments in grid modernization and smart charging infrastructure", 2021.
- In an effort to overcome the challenges hindering solar power capacity installation in EC countries like NRW, vocational training programs focused on renewable-energy technology could be implemented to equip the workforce with the necessary skills.
- Environmental-science students in NRW could contribute to the industry's transition to renewable energy by researching solutions to address the environmental concerns surrounding the installation of solar power on open land.
- Financial institutions could invest in companies that provide environmental solutions, such as those that specialize in enhancing the infrastructure for renewable energy, aiding in the accelerated deployment of renewables in densely populated regions like NRW.
