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> there must be something in it Subsidies.
by the_mitsuhiko 2y ago
> there must be something in it
Subsidies.
- m463 2y agodoesn't seem like subsidies so much as no regulatory roadblocks. probably just buy up to 800w of panels, plug them into an outlet, and you're allowed.
- Asmod4n 2y agoNope, zero subsidies.
- sva_ 2y agoThere's an indirect subsidy via tax
- the_mitsuhiko 2y agoThat is just incorrect. There are / were a ton of subsidies: https://www.finanztip.de/photovoltaik/balkon-solaranlage/foerderung/ https://www.finanztip.de/photovoltaik/balkon-solaranlage/foe...
- x3n0n 2y agoYes, for home customers, they are VAT-free.
- marcusverus 2y agoI've heard so many lies in support of "cheap solar" that I've lost count. Environmentalists may be the least honest political cohort in existence, which is saying something.
- Asmod4n 2y agototal solar capacity got increased by 75% in the last 3 years in germany alone. and yeah, i forgot about the free vax we got for small installments last year.
- Aiguru31415666 2y agoI have it on my balcony. Took me a few hours to research and a helping hand to get it installed. It will pay for itself in 4 years. No subsidies. And my balcony has a tree shadow at lunch. It's just easy to do (plug it into the socket) and done. 400 watt module. Today I made only 400 watt. Not a lot. It's still enough. The energy price per kWh is just relatively high. 30-40cent
- deepsummer 2y agoYour utility company subsidizes you. In the usual contract, you pay an price of 40 cent per kWh, no matter when you use it. But that price is based on a year-round average. Actually, sometimes electricity is super cheap for the utility company, like when the sun is shining in summer and electricity prices go negative. And sometimes it is very expensive, like on dark winter days without sun and wind, when prices are >1 EUR/kWh. What you can do with balcony solar is skip the cheap summer sun prices (which cost the utility nothing, but they still charge you 40ct), and you still buy at expensive times for 40ct, when it's actually worth much more.
- stephen_g 2y agoThat's not a subsidy, that's more like a time-based arbitrage.
- pjc50 2y agoI don't think this is based on a real analysis of German electricity wholesale prices.
- Ekaros 2y agoIn short term I think it is workable strategy. But in long term I expect the pricing to move more towards market price direction. Either by purely market or some strange adjustments based on consumption timing. And ofc transfer will go up...
- shafyy 2y agoI don't think most people buy balcony solar in Germany to save money. The eletricity you generate is very little, and it takes years before you even break even, and then you maybe save a couple of dozen euros a year. No, I think it's more about the feeling of independence and sustainability.
- otherme123 2y agoA 500W kit costs around 500€. With good orientation you break even in 3.5 years (2kWh per day at 20c the kWh). Very few investments would give you such 25-30% yearly ROI.
- Asmod4n 2y agoafter around 5-7 years you break even, and solar panels can last for 2-4 decades. Most panels you can buy in germany have a warranty of around 25 years. So yeah, you buy them to save money since electricity is hugely expensive in germany.
- rsynnott 2y agoNah, solar panels have just gotten really cheap.
- Asmod4n 2y agosubsidies don't make products cheaper for the consumer, most of it lands in the pockets of companies.