2026 is a pivotal year for drone footage and solar PV systems in Germany: the EU drone rules now apply in full, the first drone licenses are expiring, and many federal states are tightening their solar roof mandates. This overview gives you a compact, practical guide to what now matters legally for private flights, professional drone operations, and PV systems - especially for trades, the solar industry, and the real estate sector.
2026 at a Glance: Drones & PV in Legal Transition
Since 1 January 2024, drone pilots in the open category have been required to fully comply with the EU Drone Regulation (Regulation 2019/947) and the C0-C4 drone classes - uniformly across all EU member states[1]. For 2026, this means: transitional rules for many existing drones expire or are severely restricted, and new drones are now almost exclusively available with CE class markings[2].
EU drone licenses (the A1/A3 certificate of competency and the A2 remote pilot certificate) are each valid for five years; the first licenses issued in 2020 therefore need to be renewed between the end of 2025 and early 2026[3]. If you use drones for roof surveys, PV inspections, or facade work, you should review your licenses and operating procedures in a targeted way in 2026.
On the PV side, the pressure is increasing to connect more systems safely to the grid: with the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) 2023 and the amendments adopted in 2024, annual PV expansion is intended to reach around 22 GW by 2026; by 2030, a total installed PV capacity of 215 GW is planned[4]. More and more federal states are introducing a solar roof mandate for new builds and roof refurbishments.
Drone Regulations in Germany 2026
Drone regulations in Germany will follow the EU Drone Regulation in full from 2026. For you - whether private or commercial - the following applies in the open category (OPEN):
- 120 m maximum flight altitude, flights only within visual line of sight
- Three subcategories A1, A2, A3 with graduated minimum distances to people and built-up areas
- Drone classes C0-C4 with defined areas of operation[5]
