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L-R: Mayor Michael Ludwig and Deputy Mayor Kathrin Gaal, Source: City of Vienna

Vienna to remove bureaucratic hurdles for small PV installations

Vienna to remove bureaucratic hurdles for small PV installations

The move should help to increase solar energy production five-fold in the next three years

Yesterday, local authorities in Vienna announced a plan to remove the approval process from small scale photovoltaic (PV) systems. Furthermore, they also said they want to streamline the process for medium-sized installations.

The move is part of the new Smart KLIMA City Wien – the administration’s strategy to meet climate and sustainability goals. According to a recent press release, the move will have a massive impact on reducing bureaucracy and accelerating solar energy production.

The new proposition – in practical terms

The idea focuses on removing the administrative procedure for PV systems with a bottleneck capacity of 15 kilowatts (kWp). They will be exempt from notification and approval requirements. There are a couple of exceptions though, including vertically mounted solar panels and systems that include an energy storage capacity.

According to the city, these made up 86% of all applications from last year and they can be completely eliminated. Furthermore, they have also proposed an amendment that will simplify the approval process for medium installations – up to 250 kWp.

Quintupling renewable energy production in the next three years

The city has set some pretty ambitious goals for itself during this decade. Local leaders are calling for a five-fold increase in solar power production by 2025. By 2030, production levels should be 16 times greater than those in 2020.

According to the city’s current coalition government, this expansion will be achieved through empowering small and medium producers. This has the potential of empowering thousands of citizens across the city to make their own electricity, making the sustainability transition more just.

The amendments could become part of the Vienna Electricity Industry Act (Wiener Elektrizitätswirtschaftsgesetz) as soon as the middle of this year.

Deputy Mayor and City Councilor Kathrin Gaál explained that the government's goal is to remove hurdles barring citizens from taking part in Vienna’s major photovoltaic offensive.

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