The systems must be installed on the roof by the end of this year. Once this is done, the municipality of Bad Wiessee will provide a subsidy of up to 3000 euros. © Dpa
The municipality of Bad Wiessee has put an impressive 100,000 euros into a funding pot to support the installation of PV systems on house roofs in the village. The offer has been in effect since March – and it's working.
Bad Wiessee – "I am 99.9 percent sure that the money will be used up," explains treasurer Franz Ströbel. Around 25 applications for municipal funding have already been submitted to the town hall. As reported, the amount of the possible subsidy depends on the performance of the respective plant. At five kilowatts peak (kWp) it is 1500 euros, from ten kWp the maximum amount of 3000 euros beckons. Measured against the total costs of a new PV system – according to Ströbel on average about 35 000 euros – the municipal subsidy covers only a small proportion of the investment. "But for many, the subsidy has probably given the final impetus to tackle the PV system now," says Ströbel.
Bad Wiessee wants to be a pioneer
The municipal council has thus achieved its goal of bringing more PV systems to the Wiessee roofs, which until then had only been sparsely populated. The decision to provide funding from the municipal treasury was made by the committee in November 2022. They want to be a pioneer municipality, said Mayor Robert Kühn (SPD) after the vote. The decision was not easy for the local council: the 100,000 euros for the subsidy had to be shoveled free in the budget. That's why, according to Ströbel, it is unlikely that Bad Wiessee will be able to relaunch the subsidy program for PV systems in 2024. "We have such huge projects in mind that we don't really have any room left for voluntary things," explains the treasurer.
Subsidies are only available if the system is on the roof by the end of the year
Who will benefit from the PV subsidy will be revealed in December 2023. This is because money from the municipal treasury will only flow if the plant for which the subsidy was applied for goes into operation before the end of 2023. The invoice, photos of the system and an activation confirmation from the energy supplier are sufficient as proof.
The grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The date of application is decisive. However, if the requested system does not make it onto the roof in 2023, the next person on the list who can report completion will move up. One problem in many cases is likely to be the difficulty of finding craft businesses with which the schedule can be met.
It may still be worthwhile to submit an application
According to Ströbel, submitting an application for PV system subsidies to the municipality now is worthwhile in any case. There is still a bit of financial leeway, and the prospect of success is certainly there. "In the worst case, there is no municipal subsidy," says Ströbel. A PV system on the roof of a house is a good investment, but in view of the energy costs and the ecological balance.
