WakaWaka is a B Corporation based in the Netherlands with the mission to provide sustainable energy access for all. For the German market launch, Expansion.eco was responsible for all trade marketing related matters and provided content management and creation.
An excerpt of: Market Trend Report: Solar Energy, Devices and Gadgets in Germany
If you’re going for cuteness, the stuff in the home is the place to go. It’s really kind of cool to have solar panels on your roof. But if you’re really interested in the energy problem, it’s those big things in the desert.”, said Bill Gates in an interview in 2011.
7 years later we think there are massive opportunities for end consumer solar brands, especially in Germany. It is quite a hot topic with lots of ground still to be covered! We took a closer look at Germany´s solar market and found a few striking facts about its current state and projected developments. Germany’s conceives itself as a “solar market”. The high consumer demand for renewable energy continues to drive growth in this segment.
Drivers for Future Growth of Solar Power
There are two main drivers that determine the future growth of solar power in Germany:
- Rise of electro mobility: More than 90 percent of the German households planning to buy an electric car intend to invest in photovoltaic panels within the next two years.
- Falling prices for solar thermal energy storage: The amount of solar thermal energy storage installed in German households more than doubled since 2015.
Innovative technologies and lower costs will further strengthen the position of solar energy not only on the energy market but also in the minds of end consumers.
This growth has been very significant in recent years:
- Energy from renewable energy sources increased from 3.4 percent in 1990 to 27.4 percent in 2014.
- The share of solar energy generated through photovoltaics increased from 0,1 percent in 2003 to 6,1 percent in 2017.
- Share of photovoltaics in gross electricity generation in Germany in the years 2002 to 2017
Further reading on our Blog: Market Trend Report: Solar Energy, Devices and Gadgets in Germany
Market Opportunity for End Consumer Solar Brands in Germany
Compared to this pronounced market trend, the market for solar powered devices and gadgets as an alternative to conventional electric consumer goods is arguably underdeveloped. This implies huge potential for end consumer brands to trigger a trend that will initiate a mindshift towards buying solar powered devices that align with the increasing green mentality of Germans. The potential especially lies in branding, communications and marketing as you can’t find many sources dedicated to structure the end consumer market. No blogs, no market size estimations, no mainstream trend – overall only scarce information, a big knowledge gap a new brand can claim in future for successful positioning.