Tenant electricity scheme to boost solar in German cities a failure, industry says
Clean Energy Wire
A scheme to boost solar power production in densely populated areas has largely failed, solar power lobby group BSW Solar says in a press release. BSW calls the scheme “half-hearted” and says regulations are “too complex, and not fit to unleash a solar energy transition in inner cities”. So far, only about 1.5 percent of earmarked support payments have been claimed since the scheme was launched in 2017, the press release says. BSW says it hopes amendments expected this year will improve the law, but does not expect a substantial breakthrough, which will only come “if solar power use by tenants no longer is burdened by inappropriate surcharges, levies and red tape,” BSW Solar head Carsten Körnig says.
As land area for renewable power installations becomes scarce, German states have called for measures to make it easier to generate green power in cities. Tenant electricity was meant to encourage landlords to install solar panels and offer their tenants the cheap, locally produced power but has been criticised from the onset for being ineffective and unfair.
