From 1 June 2026, German law allows solar panel owners to sell their surplus electricity directly to neighbours within the same grid zone. This is called energy sharing (Energieteilung) and is regulated under § 42c of the Energy Industry Act (Energiewirtschaftsgesetz, or EnWG). Grid operators are now legally required to make the process technically possible.
NOTE: In practice, many grid operators will not have the technical infrastructure ready until 2027. Before making any arrangements, check with your local grid operator whether they already support energy sharing.
What does surplus solar energy sharing mean?
Until now, surplus solar power had one main outlet: the public grid, at the EEG feed-in tariff (Einspeisevergütung) of 7.78 cents per kilowatt-hour. Energy sharing opens a second option.
Under § 42c EnWG, you can deliver surplus electricity to another person in the same grid zone. They can be a neighbour, friend, or local cooperative member. That person pays you a price you agree on together. The amount is typically around 20 cents per kWh. They save money compared to their normal electricity tariff of 35 to 40 cents per kWh. You receive more than the EEG feed-in rate.
The electricity still physically flows through the public grid. The grid operator measures and accounts for the quantities in 15-minute intervals. You do not run a private cable to your neighbour’s house.
What do you need to participate in surplus solar energy sharing?
Two requirements apply to every participant.
Both the seller and the buyer need a smart meter gateway (iMSys). A standard electricity meter is not sufficient. Every participant needs an intelligent metering system (intelligentes Messsystem, or iMSys). It should have a smart meter gateway that transmits data in 15-minute intervals. Without this, the billing mechanism does not work.
Seller and buyer must also be in the same grid zone. This typically corresponds to one grid operator’s distribution area. It can cover multiple towns but not cross-country distances.
Energy sharing requires two separate agreements:
- Delivery agreement (Liefervertrag): sets the amount, timing, and price of electricity you deliver
- Usage agreement (Nutzungsvereinbarung): covers the service provider’s role in managing billing and grid accounting
Most households will use a specialised service provider. These providers manage the grid accounting, billing, and any shortfall supply. The service fee is typically 2 to 6 cents per kWh.
Network charges (Netzentgelte), the concession levy (Konzessionsabgabe), electricity tax (Stromsteuer), and VAT still apply to every shared kilowatt-hour. The financial benefit for the buyer comes from avoiding the retail supplier’s margin. After service fees, the net gain for the seller is typically 4 to 8 cents per kWh above the EEG rate.
Surplus solar energy sharing expands from June 2028
From June 2028, energy sharing will extend to adjacent grid zones within the same control area. This roughly doubles or triples the geographic range for many participants. A nationwide model is not planned.
