Intersolar Europe arrives in Munich on 23 June against a backdrop of sharpening economics for commercial and industrial solar. The numbers tell a simply story: German industrial customers pay around 14 to 16 euro cents per kWh for grid electricity, while Fraunhofer ISE puts the levelised cost of energy for large-scale rooftop PV at between 5.6 and 12 euro cents per kWh. That gap has made self-supply a compelling proposition for a growing share of the C&I sector, and the market is reflecting it. Data from the Bundesnetzagentur, Germany's Federal Network Agency, shows photovoltaics reaching around 18 percent of the country's power mix in 2025, surpassing natural gas and lignite for the first time.
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Rooftop systems on factories, warehouses and office buildings can be paired with battery storage, heat pumps and charging infrastructure, allowing companies to match generation peaks to their own load profiles. Modern flat, lightweight and frameless silicon-cell modules have cut roof loadings by up to 70 percent, making previously unusable building stock viable. Tighter integration between inverters and storage systems is improving overall efficiency, and companies routing solar power directly into thermal processes or electric vehicle fleets push self-consumption and returns higher still.
Regulatory drivers
The EU's revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive has set a binding schedule: the solar mandate applies to new public and non-residential buildings above 250 square metres from 2027, extends to existing non-residential buildings undergoing major renovation from 2028, and covers new residential buildings and adjacent parking from 2030. Transposition into German law was due by May 2026, though implementation remains patchy. Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hamburg have introduced broad requirements for new commercial buildings; other federal states have so far confined mandates to public buildings or have not yet finalised their approach.
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Car parks are attracting growing attention alongside rooftops. France has been an early mover: since 2023, the APER law has required operators of outdoor car parks above 1,500 square metres to cover at least half the area with PV, with a 2025 amendment permitting equivalent renewable generation elsewhere. German federal states are following a comparable path, with building codes in several states now requiring solar carports for large new car parks, generally above thresholds of 25 to 50 spaces.
At Intersolar Europe, these themes run through the full programme. The conference opens on 22 June with sessions on the economics and technical requirements of large-scale PV. A forum in hall A3 on 23 June examines the interplay between PV, storage and fleet management; the International Solar Energy Society's German section addresses specific C&I applications on 25 June. The Renewables 24/7 exhibit in hall C5 demonstrates integrated systems combining generation, storage and load management, with a focus on supply security and sector coupling. Around 2,800 exhibitors are expected, with visitor numbers projected above 100,000. (TF)
