Weekly Solar Insights: What's New for Homeowners in Germany, the UK and Italy (24 August 2026)
Hey there! Here's your friendly catch-up on what happened in the home-solar world this week across Germany, the UK and Italy - no jargon, just what actually matters if you own a roof.
Germany: feed-in tariffs edge down again
As of 1 August, the guaranteed feed-in tariff for newly installed rooftop solar dropped by about 1%[1]. If you install a small system (up to 10 kW) now, you'll get roughly €0.077 per kWh for surplus electricity you send to the grid, or about €0.122/kWh if you feed in everything. That's a small step down from last month, and it's part of a steady, predictable decline that's been happening for years - not a sudden change.
The bigger story to watch: the government's draft EEG 2027 law would phase out the fixed feed-in tariff for new small systems (up to 25 kWp) entirely from 1 January 2027. If that goes ahead, it wouldn't affect systems you already have - those keep their locked-in rate for 20 years - but it's a good reason not to sit on the fence if you've been thinking about going solar. Meanwhile, Germany's solar fleet had a record-breaking July, feeding a huge amount of clean power into the grid[2] - a nice reminder of how far rooftop solar has come.
What this means for you: feed-in tariffs are gradually becoming less generous, so self-consumption (using more of your own solar power at home) matters more each year. That's exactly where a well-sized battery earns its keep.
UK: export rates are all over the map
If you're exporting solar power to the grid under the Smart Export Guarantee, how much you get paid varies a lot depending on your supplier and whether they also installed your system. As of this month, rates range from around 3p/kWh on basic tariffs up to 20-25p/kWh on the best deals[3] - though the very top rates are usually reserved for customers whose panels were fitted by that same supplier, often just for the first 12 months. On an independent install, expect a ceiling closer to 15p/kWh.
The good news: 0% VAT on solar panels and battery storage installations is confirmed to stay in place until 31 March 2027, so there's no rush driven by tax changes.
What this means for you: it's worth shopping around for your export tariff separately from your installer, and re-checking it every year or two - loyalty rates often drop off a cliff after the first 12 months.
Italy: a new incentive scheme lands
Italy's Ministry of Environment and Energy Security has brought in the FerX mechanism, which came into force on 7 August. It sets aside a 10 GW capacity quota for solar, wind and hydro projects, with a reference price of €80 per MWh[4]. This is mostly aimed at larger installations, but it's a signal that Italy is continuing to back renewables at a policy level.
For homeowners specifically, the steadiest support remains the standard 50% personal income tax credit (Ecobonus) on solar installation costs, spread over 10 years. Superbonus support for standalone solar has now ended, so if you were relying on that older scheme, the Ecobonus route is what to plan around instead.
What this means for you: if you're in Italy and weighing up solar, the tax-credit route is stable and worth factoring into your payback math from day one.
The bigger picture
Electricity prices remain high and stubborn across all three markets right now - Germany households are paying around €0.36-0.39/kWh, the UK around 26p/kWh, and Italy is the priciest of the three at roughly €0.35-0.46/kWh[5]. That's the real reason solar (and increasingly, batteries) keeps paying off: every kWh you generate and use yourself is a kWh you don't have to buy at these prices.
Curious what solar could actually do for your own roof, in your own postcode or PLZ? Try the free Solar Roof Planner - trace your roof on the map and get a realistic estimate of panels, savings and payback in a couple of minutes, no sign-up needed.
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Sources: pv magazine - Germany reduces solar feed-in tariffs by 1%, SolarQuarter - Germany's record July solar feed-in, Uswitch - Smart Export Guarantee rates, pv magazine - Italy's FerX incentive scheme, euenergy - average electricity bills in Europe.