Auctions vs. Feed-in Premium: Support Policies for Onshore Wind Power in Germany

In this paper we investigate the effectiveness of the auction scheme for onshore wind energy in Germany. Auction schemes were introduced across Europe in order to support cost effectiveness, i.e., achieving low awarded prices while achieving the set expansion targets for renewables. In Germany, with more than five years of experience and 24 auction rounds already held since the introduction of auctions in 2017, the results can be analyzed and compared to the effectiveness of the former feed-in tariff or feed-in premium scheme (FIT/FID) which was abandoned after 2017.