The New Energy Portfolio: A Tale of Two Markets
In this article we’ll discover and discuss the European solar installers’ evolution.
Germany: Battery-First Approach
In Germany, we’re seeing that an impressive 100% of surveyed German installers offer battery storage solutions alongside their other solar offerings. Traditional residential solar remains strong at 96.3%, matched exactly by EV charging infrastructure at 96.3%.
The volumes are equally striking—35% of German installers deploy between 50 to 250 battery systems annually, with another 15% installing more than 250 battery systems per year.
Netherlands: Diversified Growth
The Dutch market shows a similar but distinct pattern of diversification:
- 91.9% offer residential solar (B2C)
- 75.8% provide battery solutions
- 72.6% install EV chargers
- 71% work in commercial solar (B2B)
While the adoption percentages are slightly lower than in Germany, the Dutch market shows substantial battery volumes, with 30.8% of installers deploying 10-50 batteries annually and 23.1% installing between 50-250 units.
2025 Outlook: Converging Priorities
Despite their different starting points, both markets are converging in their future outlook:
Germany: B2C solar remains the cornerstone for 78% of installers, with B2B solar and heat pumps tied at 30% for second place in 2025 priority rankings.
Netherlands: Batteries are now considered almost as important as PV systems for business growth (61% vs 65%), signaling a fundamental shift in business models.
This convergence suggests that the European solar installers’ evolution is a trend towards integrated energy solutions, with solar remaining the foundation but complementary technologies becoming increasingly essential to business growth.
The Battery Opportunity
Both markets show substantial activity in retrofit battery installations—a specialised segment focused on adding battery storage to existing solar systems:
Germany:
- 48.1% make 1 to 10 battery-only offers monthly
- 25.9% produce 10 to 50 battery-only offers per month
- 7.4% generate more than 250 battery-only offers monthly
Netherlands:
- 42.6% make 1 to 10 battery-only offers monthly
- 23.4% produce 10 to 50 battery-only offers per month
- 19.1% generate 50 to 250 battery-only offers monthly
This retrofit market represents a significant opportunity that needs specialised software solutions.
Different Markets, Different Priorities
While both markets are diversifying, their priorities reveal interesting cultural and market differences:
Germany maintains a strong emphasis on technical excellence, with 92.3% prioritising better PV design and work preparation capabilities. Better aerial imagery, improved string planning, and automated panel placement topped their feature wish lists.
Netherlands shows a stronger pivot toward multi-product integration, with 60% prioritising better support for batteries, heat pumps, and other products, compared to just 34.5% emphasising better PV design.
The Software Gap
Our research had an interesting finding across both markets: many installers aren’t yet using specialised software for their non-PV offerings:
Germany:
- 33% don’t use software tools for battery offers
- 40% don’t use them for EV charger proposals
- 90% don’t utilise software for heat pump quotations
Netherlands:
- 44% don’t use software for battery proposals
- 59% don’t use it for EV charger offers
- 64% don’t leverage software for heat pump features
This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for installers looking to streamline their operations across multiple product lines.
How Solar Monkey Is Bridging the Gap
At Solar Monkey, we’re continuously evolving our software to address these emerging needs across European markets:
Enhanced Multi-Product Support
Our recently launched retrofit battery feature allows installers to efficiently design and quote battery-only installations for existing solar systems—addressing a critical need in both markets. This feature helps visualise self-consumption and savings, making the battery value proposition clearer to end customers.
AI-Enhanced Precision
With aerial imagery quality topping the wish list in both countries, we’re introducing AI-enhanced aerial imagery that dramatically improves visual clarity and precision. This technology allows for more accurate panel placement, better obstruction identification, and ultimately more reliable yield calculations.
Technical Excellence in Design
Enhanced string planning features are now on our immediate development roadmap, allowing for more efficient electrical design and better inverter selection. These improvements will help installers optimise system performance while reducing design time—particularly important for our German customers.
The European Energy Transition
The solar industry is no longer just about solar panels—the European solar installers’ evolution is one of integrated ecosystem of complementary technologies working together to enable a sustainable energy future.
The installers who can efficiently integrate all these product offerings into a streamlined sales and design process will gain significant advantages in operational efficiency and customer experience. Solar Monkey is committed to supporting this evolution with tools that maintain technical excellence while expanding into multi-product capabilities.
As Europe continues its energy transition, the companies that can deliver this holistic approach—supported by the right software tools—will be the ones that thrive in tomorrow’s renewable energy landscape.
Ready to navigate this dynamic market with Solar Monkey?
Good to know: This research is based on February 2025 surveys of German and Dutch solar installers. While the sample sizes (27 German and 62 Dutch respondents) limit statistical significance, the results provide valuable directional insights into market trends and installer priorities across these key European markets.
