eeg-foerderpruefung

/energierecht:eeg-foerderpruefung

Purpose

The skill examines whether a generation installation (PV, wind, biomass, hydro, geothermal) is entitled to the market premium under § 19 EEG or the feed-in tariff, in what amount (applicable value) and for what period, and which reduction provisions apply. It addresses the two most common funding killers: commissioning date (technical operational readiness) and MaStR registration.

Inputs

type of installation, capacity (kW/MW), location (anonymized)
planned or asserted commissioning date + evidence (trial operation, feed-in log)
participation in the auction (BNetzA award with date and case number) or fixed-value regime
MaStR registration date (Marktstammdatenregister number)
BImSchG approval status (for wind and large installations)
current form of marketing (direct marketing, subsidized direct marketing, feed-in tariff)
conduct of the grid operator (suspension of tariff payments, reduction notice, penalty claim)

Sub-agent architecture

The Researcher supplies the EEG provisions (§§ 3, 6, 8, 19, 21b, 22, 27/27a, 36 et seq., 49 et seq., 51, 100), MaStRV, the relevant BNetzA determinations on the auction procedure and case law of the BGH VIII. Senate / OLG Düsseldorf. The Drafter prepares the examination in the style of a legal opinion in the order commissioning → MaStR → funding regime → amount → reductions → procedure. The Reviewer checks above all the commissioning date and MaStR registration (the most common blockers) as well as the BImSchG status.

Procedure

1. Definition of installation and commissioning (§ 3 no. 1, no. 30 EEG)

Commissioning is the first putting into operation of the installation after establishment of technical operational readiness. Requirements:

technically operationally ready (all essential installation components installed and functional)
capable of feeding in (connection at the grid connection point established)
not required: complete design load, final transformer connection, complete official approval of all ancillary installations — the standard is intended electricity generation at the site (cf. Müggenborg, in: Frenz/Müggenborg, EEG, 6th ed. 2023, § 3 marginal no. 200 et seq. [unverifiziert]).

Practical problem. It is regularly disputed whether the installation was already operationally ready on the asserted commissioning date. Evidence: trial operation log, meter reading recording, feed-in notification, technical acceptance reports.

2. MaStR registration (§ 6 EEG, § 8 MaStRV)

Obligation to register in the Marktstammdatenregister; a violation leads under § 52 EEG to the complete reduction of the applicable value to zero or to a sanction in the amount of a flat-rate charge. The registration period is one month from commissioning.

Consequence: Before every funding review, the MaStR number and the registration date must be verified.

3. Funding regime

Plant size / type	Regime	Norm
PV ≤ 100 kW (roof, certain configurations)	Fixed rate / feed-in tariff	§§ 19, 49 ff. EEG
Wind, solar, biomass above the thresholds	BNetzA tender, market premium	§§ 22, 36 ff. EEG
Direct marketing (subsidised)	Market premium	§§ 19, 20, 21b EEG
Existing installations in transition	§ 100 EEG transitional rules

The reference value results either from the award value of the BNetzA tender (§§ 36 ff. EEG) or from the statutory fixed rate (§§ 49 ff. EEG), in each case subject to degression adjustment.

4. Funding period

Funding duration as a rule 20 years plus the year of commissioning (calculated from 1 January of the year following commissioning; § 25 EEG). Special rules apply to certain installations (e.g. biomass follow-up remuneration).

5. Direct marketing (§ 21b EEG)

Obligation to market directly from the statutory size threshold (as a rule ≥ 100 kW installed capacity for new installations). The market premium is added to the market value; the plant operator requires remotely controllable technical equipment (§ 9 EEG) and a direct marketer.

6. Reduction circumstances

Negative hours (§ 51 EEG) – the reference value is reduced to zero for hours in which the day-ahead spot market shows negative prices (with differentiations by plant type and commissioning period).
Market integration requirements – e.g. remote controllability, direct marketing obligation, metering concept.
MaStR failure – reduction pursuant to § 52 EEG.
Penalty for the realisation deadline – § 27a EEG in the event of failure to commission after a tender award.
Aggregation of installations – § 24 EEG (definition of an installation in the case of a spatial-functional connection).

7. Procedure in the event of a dispute

Civil-law claim for payment of the market premium / feed-in tariff against the grid operator – action before the ordinary court (as a rule the Regional Court; check the threshold for the amount in dispute).
BNetzA decision procedure §§ 31 ff. EnWG in the event of a dispute over the application of EEG provisions, insofar as market participant interests are affected.
Clearingstelle EEG/KWKG arbitration body (eeg-kwkg.clearingstelle.de) as out-of-court clarification.
Complaint to the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court against BNetzA decisions, § 75 EnWG (deadline: 1 month).

Sources and citation style

Binding: ../../../references/zitierweise.md.

Statutes and ordinances

§ 3 EEG (definitions, in particular No. 30 commissioning)
§ 6 EEG (MaStR notification)
§ 8 EEG (connection)
§ 19 EEG (Funding entitlement)
§ 21b EEG (Direct marketing)
§ 22 EEG (Tenders)
§ 24 EEG (Plant aggregation)
§ 25 EEG (Funding period)
§ 27a EEG (Penalties realization deadline) [unverifiziert – Nummerierung im aktuellen EEG prüfen]
§§ 36 et seq. EEG (Tender procedure)
§§ 49 et seq. EEG (Fixed values)
§ 51 EEG (Negative hours)
§ 52 EEG (Reduction for breach of obligation)
§ 100 EEG (Transitional provisions)
§ 8 MaStRV (Registration obligation)
EU: RED III (Directive (EU) 2023/2413), State aid framework conditions (Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy)

Commentaries

Lehnert, in: Frenz/Müggenborg, EEG, 6th ed. 2023, § 3 marginal no. 200 et seq. (Commissioning) [unverifiziert]
Salje, in: Theobald/Kühling, Energierecht (loose-leaf, as of 2024), § 19 EEG marginal no. 1 et seq. [unverifiziert]
Säcker/Schulte, in: Säcker, BerlKomm Energierecht, 4th ed. 2019, § 22 EEG marginal no. 1 et seq. [unverifiziert]

Case law and administrative practice (`[unverifiziert – prüfen in juris / clearingstelle.de / bundesnetzagentur.de]`)

BGH, judgment of – VIII ZR case no., NJW year, p. (concept of commissioning under EEG) [unverifiziert]
OLG Düsseldorf, order of – VI-3 Kart case no., RdE year, p. (BNetzA tender) [unverifiziert]
Clearingstelle EEG/KWKG, recommendation – case no. (commissioning date / MaStR) [unverifiziert]
BNetzA, determination BK6 on tender procedures [unverifiziert]

Output format

GUTACHTEN — EEG-Förderprüfung
Anlage: <Typ, Leistung, Standort (anonymisiert)>
IBN behauptet: <Datum>
MaStR-Nr.: <Nummer / Datum der Eintragung>
Ausschreibungs-Zuschlag: <Az. / Datum oder „kein Zuschlag, Festwert"

I. Sachverhalt (knapp)
II. Frage(n)
III. Kurzantwort
    – Förderanspruch dem Grunde nach: [ja / nein / nur mit Reduktion]
    – anzulegender Wert: <ct/kWh>
    – Förderzeitraum: <20 Jahre + IBN-Jahr>

IV. Rechtliche Bewertung
    1. Anlagenbegriff und Inbetriebnahme (§ 3 Nr. 30 EEG)
       – technische Betriebsbereitschaft
       – Beweismittel
    2. MaStR-Meldung (§ 6 EEG, § 8 MaStRV)
       – Eintragungsdatum
       – ggf. Reduktion § 52 EEG
    3. Förderregime
       a) Ausschreibung §§ 22, 36 ff. EEG oder Festwert §§ 49 ff. EEG
       b) Direktvermarktung § 21b EEG
    4. Höhe (anzulegender Wert)
    5. Förderzeitraum § 25 EEG
    6. Reduktionen
       a) Negativstunden § 51 EEG
       b) Marktintegration / Fernsteuerbarkeit § 9 EEG
       c) Anlagenzusammenfassung § 24 EEG
       d) Pönale Realisierungsfrist § 27a EEG
    7. BImSchG-Genehmigungsstatus als Vorfrage (Wind/Großanlagen)
    8. Verfahren
       – Auszahlungsklage VNB (ordentlicher Rechtsweg)
       – Clearingstelle EEG/KWKG
       – BNetzA-Beschlussverfahren §§ 31 ff. EnWG, Beschwerde OLG Düsseldorf § 75 EnWG

V. Risiken / offene Punkte
    🟢 / 🟡 / 🔴 <Einstufung mit Begründung>
    Offene Tatsachen: IBN-Beweis, MaStR-Status, BImSchG-Status, Zuschlagsbedingungen

VI. Quellenverzeichnis

Example (expert opinion style, abridged)

Facts. Wind farm with 6 wind turbines of 4.2 MW each, award in BNetzA tender round. Commissioning planned for 31 December; a 110 kV transformer station has not yet been installed, but the plants are capable of feeding into a provisional 30 kV connection point.

Commissioning. § 3 no. 30 EEG requires the technical operational readiness of the plant. The standard is the intended electricity generation at the site, not the completion of all ancillary facilities. If the plant is capable of feeding in and quantities are actually fed in (meter reading), commissioning regularly exists (cf. Lehnert, in: Frenz/Müggenborg, EEG, 6th ed. 2023, § 3 marginal no. 200 et seq. [unverifiziert]).

MaStR. Registration pursuant to § 6 EEG / § 8 MaStRV within one month of commissioning; a breach leads to a complete reduction of funding under § 52 EEG. To be clarified here: registration date.

Applicable value. From the award in the BNetzA tender (§§ 36 et seq. EEG), not a fixed value. Funding period 20 years + commissioning year (§ 25 EEG).

Reductions. Negative-hours reduction § 51 EEG; remote controllability § 9 EEG must be ensured. Penalty § 27a EEG does not apply if commissioning is timely.

Result. Funding entitlement in principle 🟢, provided technical operational readiness is demonstrable on 31 December and MaStR registration is made within the deadline. 🔴 with regard to BImSchG approval status, which has not been presented – the approval must be final and binding or at least immediately enforceable. Recommendation: complete IBN documentation (test operation log, meter reading, feed-in notification) and MaStR registration on the IBN day.

Risks / typical errors

Commissioning date not established – the most common funding killer. Without a test operation log / meter reading / feed-in notification on the claimed cut-off date, loss of funding is imminent.
MaStR report missed or too late – Section 52 EEG reduction down to zero.
BImSchG approval overlooked for wind/large-scale installations – a material preliminary question for the EEG funding entitlement.
Installation aggregation under Section 24 EEG ignored – several installations are treated as one, the funding amount decreases.
Penalty under Section 27a EEG after award – realisation deadlines must be actively monitored.
Electricity price brake/gas price brake cited without [unverifiziert – aktuelle Geltung prüfen] – transitional measures 2022–2024 are short-lived and some have expired.
Conflation with energy antitrust law (market abuse by network operators, Sections 19, 29 GWB) – belongs in plugin kartellrecht.