100% from renewable energy by 2030

Solar power for the energy transition – The One Million Roofs Program – 100 percent of electricity from renewable energies by 2030 – One million roofs with photovoltaics for Austria

The Austrian Climate Protection Ministry (BMK) also wants to simplify funding for photovoltaic systems on roofs with the future Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG). On Thursday, September 10th, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler presented details of the planned measures: From 2021, as part of the new Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG), subsidies for photovoltaics (PV) will also be made much more efficient. The focus is on additional approaches, more transparency and a clearer and more accessible funding system.

One million roofs

PV systems should primarily be installed on buildings or structures (e.g. parking lots, noise barriers, operating facilities). The big advantage lies in the existing infrastructure, for example for network connections. However, many roof surfaces are not yet suitable for PV. In this sense, a corresponding accompanying program is planned to improve the mobilization of roof systems. In addition, a funding program for innovative systems (roof-integrated systems, building-integrated systems, etc.) will be made available from next year.

The One Million Roofs Program

• Expansion of 11 GW of photovoltaics by 2030, equivalent to 11 TWh of electricity generation.
• In the long term, buildings have a PV potential of around 8 TWh – at least 50% of this should be realized by 2030.
• One roof corresponds to a reference PV system of a “typical” single-family house with a system output of approximately 4 kWp.
• Goal: Solar power for everyone.
• This corresponds to the current equivalent of approximately one million roofs

The ambitious One Million Roofs Program aims to make it easier to equip roofs and buildings with photovoltaic systems. Thanks to modern photovoltaic systems, more and more roofs and buildings are being transformed into sustainable energy suppliers. Additional incentives and more effective funding opportunities are now further accelerating this expansion.

“The energy transition is one of the most important projects of the next ten years. We all need to pull together to achieve it. With a good support system and stable legal frameworks, we will ensure that solar power can be produced on one million roofs in the future,” says Gewessler.

Sustainable investments in photovoltaics make a significant contribution to the energy transition and bring Austria closer to the long-term goal of generating 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030.

“The new Renewable Energy Expansion Act will provide an important foundation for this. With it, we are creating a new funding system with continuous support. And we are ensuring that every household is allowed to produce at least as much electricity as it consumes,” Gewessler continued.

Greater planning certainty and transparency

Currently, two different agencies are responsible for promoting photovoltaic (PV) systems – the Climate and Energy Fund and the Green Electricity Settlement Agency. The new Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG), however, focuses on a single, new settlement agency (EAG Settlement Agency). This agency will provide funding on several occasions throughout the year, ensuring continuous support. Furthermore, grid access will be simplified: the connection requirements for small systems stipulate that the entire electricity demand of a household can be met by photovoltaics without incurring additional costs.

Furthermore, annual monitoring and extensive regulatory options are planned. The necessary transparency on the part of grid operators will also be enshrined in the EAG (Renewable Energy Expansion Act). To focus more strongly on buildings and landfill sites, sealed or otherwise degraded areas, a discount of approximately 30 percent is planned for installations on green spaces and agricultural land. The collected progress of the expansion of Austrian photovoltaic systems will also be openly, comprehensibly, and transparently visible online via a website.

Energy communities

Another important lever for the expansion of rooftop PV systems will be so-called “renewable energy communities.” These enable the shared use of locally produced renewable energy – for example, within a neighborhood or a housing development. For instance, the PV system on the fire station roof could supply the local school with electricity.

Expanding photovoltaic systems on roofs requires commitments and further adaptations at the state level

The Austrian Photovoltaic Association (PVA) is calling for mandatory photovoltaic installations on new buildings. The “One Million Roofs Program” can make a significant contribution to the energy transition. Expanding rooftop photovoltaics requires mandatory regulations and further adaptations at the state level.
Herbert Paierl, Chairman of the Board of the Austrian Photovoltaic Association (PVA), attended the press conference and represented the industry: “We welcome the presented ‘One Million Roofs Program’ to accelerate the expansion of photovoltaics on Austrian rooftops. To achieve the necessary PV boom, we need to remove the obstacles and, in addition to the federal government, we also need the states and municipalities on board. They possess essential expertise to enable the use of buildings and land. Appropriate measures for the solar revolution must be implemented here.”

Utilizing roof potential requires PV-friendly framework conditions

The “One Million Roofs Program” is a clear mandate for the federal states to take further important steps in this area. While Austria, with its 2.4 million buildings, seemingly has enough roof space for generating solar power using photovoltaic (PV) systems, a recent analysis by Hubert Fechner shows that, under the current legal framework, only a portion – just under 20 percent – ​​of the building stock is actually usable. Technical, economic, ecological, social, and, above all, bureaucratic factors dramatically reduce the roof potential. Consequently, only one in five buildings can be equipped with a PV system. Under the current framework, only half of the “One Million Roofs Program” can be implemented. This corresponds to an installed PV capacity of four gigawatts (GW), or 36% of the targeted PV expansion of 11 GW by 2030. To make the fundamentally high potential of roof space in Austria usable, existing regulations must be modernized to be more PV-friendly, and better information resources must be provided. A consistent reduction of barriers at the state level is essential. “The potential of rooftops must be fully exploited in any case, and we will have to develop the remaining capacity using other surfaces. This requires increased dual use of sites such as transport infrastructure or open spaces, as well as the use of innovative PV applications on noise barriers or as floating PV,” explains Paierl, outlining the comprehensive application possibilities of PV. The planned accompanying program to improve the mobilization of rooftop systems, special funding programs for innovative installations, and annual monitoring are therefore important measures for achieving the goal.

A PV mandate would create another 20 percent of the expansion

Without mandatory installation of photovoltaic (PV) systems on newly constructed buildings, the goals of the "One Million Roofs Program" are therefore hardly achievable. "Similar regulations, such as connection to the water and wastewater supply or compliance with certain building standards, already exist for new building construction. These requirements must be complemented by mandatory PV installation. Vienna is leading the way here," Paierl succinctly states. In the next 10 years, 250,000 new buildings will be constructed (assuming a continuation of the current trend). A nationwide PV mandate for new buildings alone could result in the installation of 2.1 GWp of PV capacity by 2030, which corresponds to 20% of the necessary PV expansion by 2030.