Solar subsidy program passed: how Neufahrn's municipal council surprised itself

Created: 08/30/2022, 10:00 am

By: Andreas Beschorner

The application of the Neufahrner Christsozialen was about a subsidy program for new or retrofitted photovoltaic and solar systems on private buildings.

Surprisingly, he was waved through.

© Marijan Murat

A CSU application regarding the promotion of private solar systems should be "toned down" in the Neufahrner Council to a test order.

But something went wrong.

Neufahrn –

There are cases where the councils agree on the voting procedure.

Then it happens, however, because everyone relies on everyone else, but in a different way than expected.

And then the astonishment is great.

The Neufahrn municipal council has now delivered a prime example of this.

It was about solar panels.

200,000 euros are to be set aside in the budget each year

In June, the CSU parliamentary group applied for the municipality to launch a subsidy program for new or retrofitted photovoltaic and solar systems on private buildings in order to make a contribution to climate neutrality.

200 euros per installed kilowatt peak output (maximum 1500 euros per building), 200 euros per kilowatt hour of storage capacity and a flat rate of 200 euros for balcony solar systems and plug-in solar devices had been proposed.

The funding program should run in 2023 and 2024, and 200,000 euros should be budgeted for each year.

As far as the request.

Why promote something that is in demand?

"Well intentioned per se," according to the statement by energy and environmental officer Frank Bandle (Greens).

But there is a problem: since the new Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) came into force, the demand for PV and solar systems has been “enormous”, and there have been supply bottlenecks.

So why promote something that is already in high demand anyway?

However, Norbert Manhart (FW) spoke out in favor of supporting the citizens.

Nevertheless: Because of Bandle's statements, Ozan Iyibas (CSU) requested that the application for the launch of such a solar subsidy program be converted into a test order for the administration, at the end of which the need and the effort should be quantified.

He could also go there, said Bandle.

General nods of heads.

A wafer-thin majority for the CSU application

Mayor Franz Heilmeier therefore specified the following procedure: First, the original CSU application would be put to the vote.

If that was then rejected, Iyibas' modified motion would be put to the vote.

But lo and behold: The CSU application was accepted with 13:12 votes.

A short silence in the room.

Then the next item on the agenda.

Photovoltaic roofs on municipal car parking spaces are being tested

The fact that there is another way was demonstrated by the municipal council shortly beforehand with an SPD application: the parliamentary group of comrades had suggested that the administration should examine how photovoltaic roofing looks like on municipal car parking spaces, where this is possible and what that costs.

Bandle supplemented this – mind you – test order (“a nice request”) with the suggestion that the roofs of municipal buildings and playgrounds should also be checked.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

The SPD application, including Bandle's supplement, was accepted unanimously after the costs of 200,000 euros mentioned in the resolution proposal had been specified in such a way that this sum is not incurred for the examination, but if necessary when measures are implemented.

The council agreed that the BürgerEnergieGenossenschaft (BEG) Freisinger Land should be brought on board for the test.