Purchase at your own expense

Created: 01/13/2023 16:09

By: Stefanie Zipfer

Such balcony power plants should also supply green electricity in Dachau.

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It would be a contribution to the energy transition.

But the city of Dachau does not want to promote the purchase of balcony power plants.

Dachau – The ÜB/FDP in the Dachau city council recently had the energy transition for everyone in mind.

According to City Councilor Peter Gampenrieder, their plan is that the use of photovoltaics is not only in the hands of house and property owners, but is also open to tenants.

How: by means of balcony power plants!

These mini photovoltaic systems can be set up on the balcony in no time and generate electricity from solar energy.

According to the idea of ​​ÜB/FDP, the city could subsidize these devices with a small flat rate - such as the municipality of Petershausen - or integrate them into the urban climate protection concept that is still to be developed.

"The energy transition will only succeed if as many people as possible take part and everyone can make a modest contribution," says Gampenrieder.

However, the idea did not meet with approval from the administration, the public utility company and colleagues on the city council.

The contribution that the balcony power plants make to the energy transition is too modest.

The reasons for this are obvious: There is simply much less space on a balcony than on a roof, which is why the panels are much smaller - and the electricity yield is correspondingly much lower.

Secondly, the legislator has set a limit of 600 watts for balcony electricity gain, as this is intended to prevent the domestic power grid from being overstrained and to counteract the risk of house fires.

The city administration of the ÜB/FDP idea concedes that small animals also make a mess: With a “good southern orientation” and an installed connected load of 300 watts, “annual electricity generation of around 250 kWh or more is possible”.

However, there is no need for subsidies or start-up financing: With good solar radiation conditions, the small household power plant is amortized within six to ten years.

In this context, environmental officer Thomas Kress (Greens) pointed out that the mini photovoltaic systems can be had on the Internet from as little as 300 euros.

He therefore asks himself: “Do we really have to set an example?

Does that bring anything?

No, also found economics officer Andreas Gahr (SPD).

He basically welcomes the idea, but in view of the budgetary situation in Dachau, he advises against funding balcony power plants.

It should also be considered: "If a product does not establish itself on the market, then there are reasons for that."