Vonovia picks up the pace with tenant electricity
Vonovia, the real estate giant, aims to supply its own tenants with homemade, affordable solar power as quickly as possible. All suitable rooftops in their inventory should be equipped with solar panels by the latest by 2050. The costs can be partially transferred to the rent.
Vonovia, based in Bochum, plans to accelerate the solar panel installation on the rooftops of their rental properties more than planned. The Funke Media Group newspapers were informed of this by Vonovia's CEO, Rolf Buch. "We have set a binding climate path: our portfolio should be nearly climate-neutral by 2045. In the transition to a nearly CO2-free building portfolio, decentralized power generation from photovoltaic systems on rooftops and facades plays a central role. This way, we can offer our female tenants and male tenants sustainable power, which is produced on our rooftops and facades and can be used immediately," Buch told the newspapers.
Currently, Vonovia has accelerated the installation of photovoltaic systems, Buch added. "By the end of 2026, we will install PV systems with a capacity of around 300 Megawatt Peak (MWp). Anything that simplifies the use of tenant power is welcome," he said. A new analysis by the Institute of the German Economy (IW Cologne) showed that theoretically, more than 14 million female and male tenants in Germany could benefit from tenant power - that is, affordable solar power generated on their own roofs. However, there are many obstacles, and uniform procedures are needed nationwide.
Vonovia is the largest European landlord and owns half a million apartments in Germany. In the autumn of 2021, the company equipped 1,000 rooftops with solar panels as part of a pilot project. Currently, there are around 2,500 rooftops with a maximum electrical output of 51.1 MWp. This year, the company plans to significantly expand solar power generation on their rooftops. "80 MWp will be installed in 2024," a spokeswoman told the Funke newspapers further. By 2050, all suitable Vonovia buildings should be equipped with photovoltaic systems.
"No grid fees to pay"
Tenants will primarily benefit from this, the spokeswoman announced. "Vonovia's photovoltaic offensive comes to the benefit of our female and male tenants," she explained further. She also pointed out that no grid fees would be charged for the locally generated and consumed power. "This saving we pass on to our female and male tenants. So we can offer our basic direct current particularly affordably. Concretely: At least ten percent cheaper than the local basic supply tariff and without hidden costs."
Vonovia's goal is to make its rental portfolio nearly climate-neutral by 2045. The company is focusing primarily on energy-efficient housing modernizations, the construction of district heating networks or the connection to district heating networks, as well as CO2-neutral heat generation through hybrid heating and heat pumps. However, solar power generation also plays a central role in this endeavor. For Vonovia tenants, modernizations are not only good news: The company can transfer a part of the costs to the annual rent.
Vonovia is currently expanding its installation of solar panels on their rental properties to surpass initial plans, with a goal to install PV systems with a capacity of 300 MWp by the end of 2026. This move could potentially benefit over 14 million tenants in Germany, as shown in a new analysis by the Institute of the German Economy. By 2050, Vonovia aims to equip all suitable buildings with photovoltaic systems, with tenants primarily benefiting from this, as stated by a spokeswoman, who noted that no grid fees would be charged for the locally generated and consumed power.
