Tenants in particular should benefit from the state subsidy program for small "balcony power plants" and thus be able to reduce their electricity costs. However, the main target group in particular has so far been reluctant to submit applications.
Schwerin (dpa/mv) - The state funding for so-called balcony power plants, which is only granted in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, is of particular interest to homeowners. Tenants, on the other hand, have so far submitted far fewer applications for funding. As can be seen from data from the responsible Ministry of the Environment in Schwerin, around 2,300 applications for the state subsidy of 500 euros per household were received by mid-December. However, around 500 were incomplete and could therefore not be processed conclusively.
According to the ministry, around 1,500 of the applications for funding that were ready for approval came from homeowners. Only a little more than 200 tenants submitted, who, according to Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD), are the main target group of state aid. One reason for the reluctance is the landlord's concerns.
However, the Greens in the Schwerin state parliament pointed out that the installation of plug-in photovoltaic systems with a capacity of up to 600 watts is also permitted without the consent of the landlord. The prerequisites are that the apartment has an energy socket, a suitable electricity meter is available, the system is connected to its own secured circuit and the building fabric is not impaired. MP Hannes Damm (Greens) referred to a judgment by the district court in Stuttgart, according to which tenants can also assert a claim against their landlords for the installation of plug-in photovoltaic systems.
According to Backhaus, however, there are several judgments on the subject, which are then cited by the different parties. He announced talks with the representatives of the apartment owners. "It's about making it clear that only a common path leads to renewable energies and thus to a healthy climate future," he said.
According to the minister, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the first and so far only federal state to provide financial support for the installation of so-called balcony power plants. With prices of around 1000 euros for a plug-in photovoltaic system, the state covers around half of the costs. Tenants and homeowners have to pay in advance and can then get money back from the state. The total funding amounts to 10 million euros. According to Backhaus, after deduction of administrative and processing costs, around 18,000 households in the country can benefit. The “first come, first served principle” applies, so decisions are made based on the order in which applications are received.
The minister referred to calculations according to which electricity costs of around 140 euros per household can be saved annually with the help of the subsidized systems. In addition, the emission of a total of around 2500 tons of CO2 will be avoided. Taxpayers' Association, operators of large green power plants and housing associations are skeptical about the support program.
