German Renewable Energy Payment Register

The PaymentRegister dataset offers a comprehensive compilation of subsidies and tariffs paid to renewable energy units installed in Germany between 2000 and 2021. The dataset is constructed based on the yearly statements provided by the four German Transmission System Operators (TSOs) on their conjoint reporting webpage. These statements are updated annually around August, with a one-year lag, and the dataset encompasses yearly statements from 2007 to 2021.
Containing over 53 million observations, the dataset comprises 12 variables/descriptors. It includes a unit identifier (Unit_ID) that can be matched with the UnitRegister dataset, along with information on generation (G_kWh) and associated payments (P_Euro). Additionally, descriptors related to the associated tariff are provided, such as the Tariff identification code (Tariff_ID) and the regulated tariff value (Tariff). The dataset also includes the technology of the unit, a tariff categorization (Ref1, Ref2) based on the payment type (e.g., full feed-in tariff, market premium, bonus payment, reduced payment due to sanction), the year of payment (Year), and the name of the TSO under which the unit is registered (TSO). Notably, two additional descriptors, "Tariff1" and "P_Euro1," are included to highlight any discrepancies between reported tariff values and actual payments.

Notes:

The PaymentRegister.csv dataset was compiled to meet the research needs of the Chair of Energy Economics at BTU. Payments were categorized based on their tariffs, resulting in a more specific first categorization process with 29 categories, followed by a second categorization level grouping the tariffs into 17 categories. However, these categorizations are solely descriptive and do not impact the original data, allowing users to choose whether to utilize the categorization descriptors or not.

To assist users in utilizing the dataset, we have provided the R-code used for data processing. By downloading the data package and modifying the top-level directory (line 13), users can run the code. To update the dataset, the following steps are recommended:

Update the TariffRegister following this publication.

Download the new year statements from the TSOs into each TSO folder and run the individual TSO data analysis R-codes. Please modify the top-level directory for these codes as well and update the sections for the new data. Ensure that any updated datasets maintain consistency with the previous file structure (which has not always been the case in the past).

Execute the main code to bind all the files together.

This publication is part of a series of datasets on German Renewable Energy Sources Data, which also includes a UnitRegister, a TariffRegister and the combination of this information to analyze individual bids in renewable auctions. For a comprehensive understanding of the datasets and their relationships, we recommend referring to two related publications:

•    Batz Liñeiro, T. B., Müsgens, F. (2023). "Evaluating the German onshore wind auction programme: An analysis based on individual bids." Energy Policy, 172, 113317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113317 | Preprint

•    Batz Liñeiro, T., Müsgens, F. (2021). "Evaluating the German PV auction program: The secrets of individual bids revealed." Energy Policy, 159, 112618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112618 | Preprint