Direct marketing of PV power
Direct Marketing Calculator: Revenue & Costs for Your PV System
From 100 kWp of installed capacity, operators in Germany are required to use direct marketing. Here you'll see how your revenue is composed, what direct marketing costs and when it pays off — with a concrete worked example instead of a throwaway tool.
In brief
Is direct marketing worth it — and what does it cost?
For systems from 100 kWp, direct marketing is mandatory in Germany. Instead of a fixed feed-in tariff, you sell your power on the exchange via a direct marketer and additionally receive the sliding market premium. In total you typically reach at least the level of the applicable value (anzulegender Wert) — minus a comparatively small marketing fee.
For obligated systems, direct marketing is therefore not a disadvantage but the standard case: the marketing fee is usually a fraction of a cent per kilowatt-hour, while the sliding market premium hedges your revenue against volatile exchange prices. What matters economically is less the "whether" than choosing the right direct marketer and a clean technical setup (remote control, metering concept).
Revenue mechanics
How is your revenue generated?
Revenue from subsidised direct marketing is made up of three building blocks. Two bring in money, one is the cost block:
Solar market value
The average exchange price solar power achieves in a given month (monthly market value "MW Solar"). Your direct marketer sells your power on the spot market — this revenue flows directly to you.
Sliding market premium
The difference between the applicable value (from EEG tariff or tender) and the solar market value. It offsets low exchange prices and secures your revenue level.
Marketing fee
The direct marketer's fee for trading, balancing group and remote control — the actual cost block. Often a fixed monthly amount (typically €80–250 depending on system size), less often a small per-kWh charge.
Worked example
What's left at the bottom line? Two system sizes compared
The following calculation shows the order of magnitude for a subsidised system under the sliding market premium. All market values are illustrative example assumptions — please recalculate with current figures for your own system.
| Metric | 135 kWpCommercial roof | 750 kWpLarge roof system |
|---|---|---|
| Installed capacity | 135 kWp | 750 kWp |
| Annual energy yield¹ | 128,250 kWh | 712,500 kWh |
| Applicable value²example | 7.00 ct/kWh | 7.00 ct/kWh |
| Avg. solar market value (annual 2025)² | 4.51 ct/kWh | 4.51 ct/kWh |
| Market premium (applic. value − market value) | 2.49 ct/kWh | 2.49 ct/kWh |
| Marketing fee³example | €80/month (€960/year) | €250/month (€3,000/year) |
| Annual revenue (net)⁴ | €8,018 | €46,875 |
The marketing fee is usually charged as a fixed monthly amount — roughly €80 to €250 per month depending on system size, i.e. about €960 and €3,000 per year in the example. There are also one-off costs for setup (around €200) and the remote control technology required under § 10b EEG (a one-off €1,500 to €3,000). Relative to total revenue, the ongoing cost block stays small — the direct marketing obligation only marginally reduces your return.
¹ Assumption: specific yield 950 kWh/kWp per year (rooftop system, Germany).
² Solar market value: annual solar market value 2025 = 4.508 ct/kWh (source: netztransparenz.de). Monthly values fluctuate strongly (e.g. January 2026: 11.02 ct/kWh, April 2026: 1.32 ct/kWh) — via the sliding market premium this hardly affects total revenue. Applicable value: example, system-specific (commissioning, size, full/surplus feed-in or tender result, Bundesnetzagentur).
³ Marketing fee: often a fixed monthly amount (here €80 and €250/month as an example). Depending on the direct marketer, per-kWh fees (about 0.1–0.3 ct/kWh) are also common. One-off costs for setup and remote control technology apply in addition.
⁴ Simplified model calculation under the sliding market premium without profile and balancing effects. Not individual investment advice.
Read more
Costs, obligations and safeguards in detail
Read in detail which obligations direct marketing entails, which costs arise and what safeguards you have as an operator in our in-depth guide.
Read the article: Direct marketing — costs, obligations and safeguardsOperations with Greenion Flow
Direct marketing, meter readings, instalments and annual billing run on Greenion Flow for Greenion systems — our own software for the commercial management of PV plants. This keeps market premium, revenue and contracts in view at all times.
FAQ
Direct marketing — frequently asked questions
From what system size is direct marketing mandatory?
For new systems with more than 100 kWp of installed capacity, subsidised direct marketing is mandatory in Germany. Smaller systems can switch to direct marketing voluntarily but are not required to. The decisive factor is the installed capacity of the system.
How does a direct marketing calculator work?
A direct marketing calculator estimates your annual revenue from the solar market value (average exchange revenue), the sliding market premium (difference between the applicable value and the market value) and the direct marketer's fee. Because market values fluctuate monthly, static worked examples like the one on this page provide more reliable orders of magnitude than a tool based on a snapshot.
What does direct marketing cost?
The main costs are the ongoing marketing fee of the direct marketer — often a fixed monthly amount of around €80 to €250 depending on system size, or alternatively a small per-kWh charge (about 0.1–0.3 ct/kWh). There are also one-off costs: a setup fee (around €200) and the remote control technology required under § 10b EEG (a one-off €1,500 to €3,000). The sliding market premium offsets most of the revenue fluctuation, so ongoing costs remain low.
Is direct marketing worth it compared to the feed-in tariff?
For systems from 100 kWp there is no longer a fixed feed-in tariff — direct marketing is mandatory. Through the sliding market premium you typically reach at least the level of the applicable value in total. With good exchange prices, additional revenue can arise. Direct marketing is therefore the economic standard, not a disadvantage.
What is the difference between solar market value and market premium?
The solar market value is the average exchange price solar power achieves in a given month. The market premium is the difference between the applicable value (your subsidy level) and this market value. Together they make up your revenue per kilowatt-hour. For context: the annual solar market value 2025 was 4.508 ct/kWh (source: netztransparenz.de); monthly values, however, fluctuate considerably.
Do I need a remote control device for direct marketing?
Yes. Systems in subsidised direct marketing must be technically remote-controllable so the direct marketer can call up and reduce feed-in capacity. The requirements depend on system size and grid operator — we account for this in planning and connection.
Is direct marketing worth it for your system?
We calculate your system with current market values and show you which marketing and operating model pays off — free and non-binding.