More solar power plants with the Berlin Master Plan Solar City

Published on: January 25, 2021 / Updated on: March 16, 2021 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

Masterplan Solarcity Berlin successfully on schedule – despite Corona

Masterplan Solarcity Berlin – Solar installations – Image: AR Pictures|Shutterstock.com

Berlin has reached a significant milestone on its path to becoming a climate-neutral city. The first monitoring report for the Solar City master plan is now available and shows that important milestones have already been achieved and the ambitious goal of a solar city is within reach.

Ramona Pop (Martin Rulsch) 1 , Martin Rulsch, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 4.0 , CC BY-SA 4.0

Berlin's Senator for Energy, Ramona Pop: “In the first year of implementing the master plan, we have already come a good deal closer to becoming a solar city. The report makes it clear that with the initiated projects and measures, we are moving further towards increasing photovoltaic generation, despite the lockdown and pandemic. With the recently enacted Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG 2021) and the law on mandatory solar panels for new buildings and comprehensive roof renovations in Berlin, which is still under review, we are creating additional and necessary framework conditions to continuously support the expansion of solar energy.”

For Berlin to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, 25 percent of its electricity needs must be met by solar energy. This means that solar installations with a capacity of approximately 4,400 megawatts must be installed on Berlin's rooftops. With the Solar City Master Plan, the State of Berlin aims to significantly accelerate the expansion of solar energy in the capital. To this end, approaches are bundled into nine areas of action and 27 measures, some of which were already implemented in 2019 and are proceeding according to plan. Since August 2020, the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises has been supported by the Solar City Master Plan Coordination Office, which now conducts annual implementation monitoring. In autumn 2020, all stakeholders reported for the first time on their progress using standardized questionnaires. The results have been compiled for this report.

Early successes include the effective operation of the Berlin Solar Center as a resource for independent and free advice on all aspects of solar energy use, the Solarwende Berlin web portal with its comprehensive information on solar energy, and the EnergiespeicherPLUS funding program. Furthermore, the State of Berlin has advocated for improvements to the legal framework for solar expansion through initiatives in the Federal Council. Another important milestone was the establishment of the Masterplan Solarcity coordination office as a central point of contact for actively supporting and managing the implementation process.

The Solar City Master Plan is a measure within Berlin's Energy and Climate Protection Program 2030 (BEK). The Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises is the publisher of the report and the initiator of the Solar City Master Plan Berlin. Further information on the report's findings, the monitoring process, and the Solar City Master Plan can be found at:
www.solarwende-berlin.de/monitoring