Full or surplus feed-in: where the line falls in 2026
Full feed-in pays 12.22 ct/kWh instead of 7.70 ct/kWh, but for every kilowatt-hour, including those you would otherwise use yourself. For 10 kWp at the German average, the choice tips at about 3,900 kWh of annual consumption.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Full or surplus feed-in: which earns more
Better option
Surplus feed-in
| Surplus: benefit per year | €1,240 |
| Full: benefit per year | €1,227 |
| Rates surplus / full | 7.70 ct/kWh / 12.22 ct/kWh |
With surplus feed-in (Teileinspeisung), the household uses solar power first and only exports the rest, which for systems commissioned from 1 August 2026 earns 7.70 ct/kWh up to 10 kWp. With full feed-in (Volleinspeisung), all the power produced in a calendar year goes to the grid, and section 48(2a) of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) raises the reference value; the Federal Network Agency lists 12.22 ct/kWh for this period, 4.52 ct/kWh more. Which option earns more depends on consumption. A 10 kWp system facing south produces 10,523 kWh at the German average. As full feed-in it earns €1,227 a year, with 483 kWh lost to the 60 per cent cap without a smart meter. As surplus feed-in it earns €1,240 with 4,000 kWh of consumption and €1,420 with 6,000 kWh. The threshold lies at about 3,900 kWh. If you want full feed-in, you must tell the grid operator in text form before commissioning, and thereafter before 1 December for the following year.
Two ways to bill the same system
Technically it is the same system; in billing terms they are two different worlds. With surplus feed-in, solar power flows into the house's sockets first, and only what nobody needs at that moment goes through the bidirectional meter to the grid and gets paid. With full feed-in, all the power is exported and the house keeps buying all its electricity from the grid. In return, section 48(2a) EEG raises the reference value. For systems commissioned from 1 August 2026, the Federal Network Agency lists these rates:
| Capacity band | Surplus feed-in | Full feed-in | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| up to 10 kW | 7.70 ct/kWh | 12.22 ct/kWh | 4.52 ct/kWh |
| over 10 to 40 kW | 6.66 ct/kWh | 10.24 ct/kWh | 3.58 ct/kWh |
| over 40 to 100 kW | 5.44 ct/kWh | 10.24 ct/kWh | 4.80 ct/kWh |
The consumption threshold
The higher rate sounds tempting, but it replaces a saving worth much more. Every kilowatt-hour the house uses itself saves 36.2 ct; as full feed-in it earns only 12.22 ct/kWh. Conversely, every kilowatt-hour that would be exported anyway earns 4.52 ct/kWh more with full feed-in. Which side wins depends on the ratio of self-use to exports, and therefore on consumption.
| Annual consumption | Used at home | Surplus feed-in | Full feed-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 kWh | 1,259 kWh | €1,145 | €1,227 |
| 4,000 kWh | 1,586 kWh | €1,240 | €1,227 |
| 5,000 kWh | 1,899 kWh | €1,331 | €1,227 |
| 6,000 kWh | 2,205 kWh | €1,420 | €1,227 |
With 10 kWp and the national PVGIS yield, the threshold is about 3,900 kWh, close to the 4,000 kWh used in this site's examples, so for many homes the decision is a close one. Smaller systems shift it towards surplus feed-in: with 5 kWp and 4,000 kWh, surplus earns €784 and full only €613, because a larger share stays in the house. A battery works the same way.
The 60 per cent cap hits full feed-in harder
For new systems without a smart meter, feed-in may not exceed 60 % of rated output (section 9(2) EEG). With surplus feed-in, the household absorbs part of the midday peak; with full feed-in, everything has to pass the cap. The 10 kWp system therefore loses 483 kWh a year under full feed-in, against 294 kWh under surplus feed-in with 4,000 kWh of consumption. A smart meter removes the cap but brings the loss of payment in quarter-hours with negative prices (section 51 EEG). That is costly for full feed-in, where every exported kilowatt-hour can be affected: with a smart meter, the annual benefit in the model drops to €976. Background is under negative power prices.
Notifying the grid operator
The higher rate is not automatic. Under section 48(2a) EEG, the operator must tell the grid operator (Netzbetreiber) in text form that the system feeds in fully: in the commissioning year before commissioning, and in every later year before 1 December of the preceding calendar year. Text form means a legible declaration, for example by email or through the grid operator's portal; no signature is needed. If you miss the deadline, the surplus rate applies for that year.
The rule has a practical upside: you can decide afresh each year. If a heat pump or electric car arrives, a notice before 1 December moves you to surplus feed-in from the following 1 January. The 20-year payment period and the rates of your commissioning period stay unchanged.
Two systems, two models
Several solar systems on the same property commissioned within twelve months normally count as one for determining capacity. For full feed-in, section 48(2a) makes an exception: the operator can treat them as two systems if each is billed through its own meter and, before the second goes live, the grid operator is told which one gets the higher rate. That way the house can run on surplus feed-in and the barn on full feed-in. This allocation, too, can be changed with a notice before 1 December for the following year.
When full feed-in is the right choice
Full feed-in suits roofs with little consumption behind them: outbuildings, holiday homes, workshops, an empty house. It also suits households whose own power is very cheap, for example on a special tariff, because the saving from self-use shrinks. In an occupied family home with typical consumption the two models are close, and any later change in the household tends to favour surplus feed-in. Your exact case with postcode, battery and smart meter is worked out by the solar PV calculator; all rates and periods are under feed-in tariff.