Energy transition versus monument protection: Solar roof on Rathausplatz is passé

Created: 05/06/2022, 1:00 p.m

By: Magnus Reitinger

The back of the Weilheim fashion store Echter: PV modules are now planned on the flat roofs on the north side and also over part of the parking lot.

© Rudder

No solar system may be installed on the southern roof of the Weilheim fashion house Echter.

The monument protection authority vetoed it - which was met with incomprehension in Weilheim's building committee.

At least on the back, the committee now wants to enable photovoltaics.

Weilheim

– The intricate roof landscape of the well-known fashion house on Rathausplatz is only partially suitable for solar use.

It would be all the more important to equip the south-facing roofs on Rathausplatz with photovoltaic modules (PV) in order to increase the company's own share of electricity generation in the interests of ecology.

That's actually what the company intended.

But these roofs are on the visible side of the listed "Upper Town" ensemble to which the Echter building belongs.

For any change that can affect the appearance of the ensemble, a permit under monument law is required.

And the competent authority has meanwhile rejected it, according to the building committee of the Weilheim city council.

This leaves the building contractor with "only the rear area" for solar use, explained Stefan Kirchmayer, a member of the municipal building department, at the most recent meeting.

Echter would now like to set up PV systems on flat roofs in the rear part of the building.

In addition, "in a second step", part of the customer parking lot should be covered with a suitable construction and equipped with photovoltaic modules.

The development plan "Upper Town II" must be changed for both: It must identify a building area for carports and increase the fixed wall height for the flat roof area - which is exceeded by the PV elements by about one meter.

Monument friend guest stands alone in a wide corridor

The building committee unanimously approved these changes.

The planned systems are "very useful and don't bother us," said ÖDP representative Gerd Ratter.

This solution is also “something good” for Klaus Gast.

At the same time, the CSU city councilor, who also acts as district home caretaker, expressed understanding for the concern of monument protection as far as the roofs of the upper town are concerned.

However, Gast was alone in this session.

Karl-Heinz Grehl (Greens) called the concerns of the monument protection authority "completely incomprehensible";

according to him, in this case, the PV modules on the south-facing roofs would not be visible from below.

"Politicians should point this out," added Grehl and called for more assertiveness: "You can build something like that, even without being listed."

Horst Martin: "In 20 years there will be photovoltaics on all roofs"

Horst Martin was even more fundamental: The fact that the "protection idea" is repeatedly sought in photovoltaics - "here the protection of monuments, with the planned solar field in Unterhausen nature conservation" - makes him thoughtful, according to the SPD representative: "I have the feeling that we With our various specifications and concerns, we often stand in the way of pushing the energy transition ourselves.” However, he is certain: “In 20 years, photovoltaics will be on all roofs.”

In this sense, the city should "generally facilitate" such photovoltaic systems as they have now been applied for when revising development plans in the inner city area, demanded Stefan Emeis (Greens): Roof systems should "no longer be overly regulated at all", according to the environment - and climate officer of the city council: "We could make life a lot easier with it."