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NRW to introduce mandatory solar from 2024 - What's changing now!
31 October 2023 - Reading time: 3 minutes
The state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia met on Thursday, 26 October 2023 and passed the amended state building regulations after the third reading.
In this article, we explain to whom the new regulation on the solar roof obligation in North Rhine-Westphalia applies, what exceptions there are, what advantages the new solar system decree brings for homeowners and what to look out for when renovating roofs in historic old buildings.
When does the solar obligation apply in NRW? >
This obligation is to come into force gradually for different buildings:
- From 1 January 2024: solar systems mandatory for new non-residential buildings
- From 1 January 2025: solar systems mandatory for new residential buildings
- From 1 January 2026: A solar system must be installed when renovating commercial and private roofs.
In the coming year, it will become mandatory for newly constructed non-residential buildings, such as office complexes, public buildings, administrative buildings, supermarkets, hotels, sports halls, agricultural premises, factory buildings and similar structures, to install a photovoltaic system on their roof.
This measure extends the obligation to install photovoltaic systems for new car parks, which has been in place since 2022, to the building sector. For newly constructed buildings, the cut-off date for this regulation is the submission of the building application, while for roof renovations, the date of the start of construction is relevant.
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In 2025, the requirement to install photovoltaic systems will then be extended to new residential buildings. This measure aims to promote the use of renewable energy sources and thus take an important step towards sustainability in residential construction.
In accordance with legal requirements, it is planned that both state and federal properties will be equipped with photovoltaic roof systems by the end of December 2025 at the latest.
As a result, the use of solar energy will not only help to reduce CO2 emissions, but also increase energy efficiency in residential buildings, leading to lower energy costs for residents in the long term.
Are older buildings affected by the NRW solar obligation?
From 1 July 2024, the mandatory installation of solar systems on roofs as part of roof renovations will become compulsory for state buildings, while this obligation will apply to private buildings from 2026.
However, the law provides for exemptions from the requirement to install photovoltaics, particularly for roof areas of less than 50 square metres and in cases of technical or economic challenges.
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What advantages does the new solar system decree bring for homeowners?
The decree opens up more space for solar installations, which is made possible byreducing the prescribed distance between photovoltaic installations on terraced houses.
The most recent change in this regard, which has been in force since the decree: “With the decree, solar systems can be installed on roofs of detached and semi-detached houses (more precisely: building classes 1 and 2) without a distance to the boundary wall. The exception to the minimum distance from the boundary wall must be applied for in writing to the building supervisory authority.”
This regulation is intended to make the installation of photovoltaic systems on terraced houses more attractive.
What does a solar system from VODASUN cost?
For a standard detached or semi-detached house, the total cost of installing a photovoltaic system, including installation and connection, is generally in the region of €10,000 to €20,000 – with the exact price depending on the installed output, the solar modules and the size of the solar energy storage system.
Common solar systems installed on German rooftops have a capacity of 4 to 10 kilowatt peak (kWp). The actual performance of these systems depends largely on the available roof area and the type of solar modules used.
However, in order to provide you with the best possible assistance in your particular situation, we have put together two versions in the following sections:
4 kWp photovoltaic system without electricity storage
*The offer shown includes 10 solar modules from LONGi (manufacturer) incl. Electrical work and assembly. As various factors influence pricing and can change quickly, the current prices of the providers may differ from the information shown. In addition, the services included in the offers of the various providers vary considerably.
4 kWp photovoltaic system incl. 5 kWh power storage unit, a 1-phase backup box and installation
*The offer shown includes 10 solar modules from LONGi (manufacturer) incl. Electrical work, installation, a 5 kWh electricity storage unit and a 1-phase backup box. As various factors influence pricing and can change quickly, the current prices of the providers may differ from the information shown. In addition, the services included in the offers of the various providers vary considerably.
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