Weekly Solar Insights: Germany's August Feed-In Step, the UK's £1,663 Cap, and Italy's 2026 Bonuses (Week of 27 July 2026)
Welcome back to your weekly catch-up on home solar across Germany, the UK and Italy. A few things shifted this week that are genuinely worth knowing if you are weighing up panels, so here is the plain-English version, one country at a time.
Germany: the next feed-in step lands on 1 August
If you have been sitting on the fence, here is your gentle nudge. Germany's feed-in tariff (Einspeisevergütung) drops by roughly 1% on 1 August 2026 under the automatic degression built into the EEG[1]. It is a small step, not a cliff, but it is a reminder that the rate only moves one way.
For a typical home system up to 10 kWp on the partial feed-in model, where you use your own power first and export the surplus, the rate is currently around 7.78 ct/kWh[2]. Here is the reassuring part: whatever rate applies when your system is switched on and registered is locked in for 20 years[1]. So the number you secure today is the number you keep.
There is a bigger question on the horizon. A draft law from the economics ministry, published in April 2026, proposes scrapping the fixed feed-in tariff altogether for new systems up to 25 kWp from 1 January 2027[1]. Nothing is final yet, but if you were planning to install anyway, getting connected in 2026 means you lock in today's guaranteed rate rather than betting on what replaces it.
United Kingdom: a lower headline cap, but read the small print
From July to September 2026, Ofgem's energy price cap is £1,663 a year for a typical household, with electricity around 26.11p per kWh[3]. Before you cheer, that lower headline partly reflects new, lower "typical usage" benchmarks Ofgem now uses, not a sudden drop in what you pay per unit. And Cornwall Insight expects the cap to tick back up to somewhere around £1,701 to £1,747 from October[4].
The more interesting number for solar owners is not the cap at all. It is the export rate, which suppliers set freely. Right now the standout deals include Octopus Intelligent Flux paying up to about 32p/kWh in peak export windows[5] (you will need a home battery), Good Energy at 25p/kWh with no battery required, and EDF at a fixed 24p/kWh for twelve months. If you already have panels, it is worth a five-minute check of what your surplus is earning.
Italy: the 2026 bonuses are confirmed and still generous
Good news for Italian homeowners: installing solar in 2026 falls under the Bonus Ristrutturazione, giving a 50% income-tax deduction on the cost for your main home (36% for second homes), up to a €96,000 ceiling and spread over ten years[6]. Batteries and closely linked work count too.
If money is tighter, the Reddito Energetico is worth a look: for households with an ISEE up to €15,000 (or €30,000 with four or more children), the GSE pays the installer €2,000 plus €1,500 for each kW installed, up to 6 kW[7]. And if you are joining a renewable energy community, there are grants covering up to 40% of the installation cost[6].
The one thing worth doing this week
Wherever you are, the pattern is the same: incentives and export rates keep moving, and the sooner you know your own numbers, the better the decisions you can make. You do not need a quote or a salesperson to start, just your address and five minutes.
Pop in your address, trace your roof, and see your realistic panel count, yearly output, savings and payback with the free Solar Roof Planner. No sign-up, no pressure, just your own numbers.