News agencies based in Germany reported in late June that Berlin’s House of Representatives passed the Berlin Solar Act. The law mandates that from 2023 onward, rooftop PV systems will have to be installed on new buildings and buildings undergoing major renovations. For buildings with a roof that has a usable area of more than 50 square meters, at least 30% of the rooftop area has to be allocated for the deployment of PV systems.
Apart from the rooftop area requirement, there are minimum generation requirements as well. For residential buildings, those with 2 apartments must attain 2kW, those with 3-5 apartments must attain 3kW, and those with 6-10 apartments must attain 6kW.
Investitionsbank Berlin, which is a development bank operated by the government of Berlin, will be providing loans and grants to building owners to help pay for the costs of installing PV systems.
Once the law comes into force in January 2023, building owners that fail to comply with its provisions will be fined severely. The penalty amounts for houses for 1-2 families, multi-family houses, and non-residential buildings are €5,000, €25,000, and €50,000 respectively. The German government has recently raised and pulled forward its renewable energy targets after being criticized for not doing enough to meet its international obligations related to fighting climate change. As for the government of Berlin, it currently aims to source 25% of Berlin’s electricity supply from PV generation by 2050.