Among other things, the Oslo municipality will no longer be able to require that the panels be the same color as the roof.
According to urban development consultant Arild Hermstad (MDG), the potential is huge.
15% of consumption
The Planning and Building Agency has mapped the potential on the city’s rooftops. Sober estimates suggest that these roofs suitable for solar energy could contribute about 1.2 TWh of electricity per year.
– This means that we can cover 15 percent of the consumption of Oslo citizens today, says Hermstad.
Sun on the roof: South-facing roofs are well suited for solar, according to the Planning and Building Agency maps. Here from Pjolsn.
Photo: Haakon Mosvold-Larsen/NTB
The City Council is now taking several steps to enable homeowners, housing associations, condominium owners, and businesses to roll out solar energy more quickly:
- It is proposed to omit the application fee. It currently ranges from NOK 15,420 to NOK 31,500 for projects that require an application. It must be approved by the city council.
- Directs the Planning and Construction Agency (PBE) to quickly process solar cell cases.
- PBE directs that solar panels not be required to be the same color as the roof.
Three times more expensive
In August, NRK told the Helgesens Gate housing association that the scheme and builder wanted solar cells to match the red roof tiles.
– The head of the Housing Association, Nikolai Hofst, said that the red roof plate would triple our investment costs.
Red roof But red solar cells would make the Souffenberg housing association project three times more expensive and therefore out of the question, according to director Nikolai Hofst.
Photo: Olaf Goffin/NRK
When the responsible city council gives the agency clear instructions.
We want to move away from requiring red solar cells on red roofs. It costs a lot of people, says Arild Hermstad.
– But surely there are more to those who will install solar panels and want to fast-track planning and construction and avoid fees?
– naturally. But for the city council and the Millennium Development Goals, it’s very important that we use the potential we have in solar cells. It is much bigger than we thought
Less conflict
Moreover, solar power is less controversial than other types of renewable energy, especially wind power.
– It’s quicker to get up, there’s a lot less conflict and it’s not against nature, says Arild Hermstad.
Check your roof
The Norwegian Agency for Planning and Building has created a solar map where people can click on it and see how much electricity they can generate on their roofs.
During the first seven months of the year, Oslo Municipality distributed NOK 26 million in solar energy support from the Climate Fund. This is almost as much as it was last year.
There is still a lot of money left in the fund.
– So I encourage people to check their rooftops on the municipality’s solar map. Apply for financing if the roof is suitable. Here you can save money and the environment, says environmental consultant Serene Staff (MDG).
rooftop solar cells
But is the municipality doing enough on its own buildings? Yes, says Arild Hermstad.
– We are now implementing many solar cell projects in Oslo, especially in schools. In Woldsloka, he says, we have just opened a new school that produces more energy than it uses.
Bislett: The sports facility is one of the municipal buildings that has solar cells on the roof.
Photo: Oslobig KF
“Web specialist. Lifelong zombie maven. Coffee ninja. Hipster-friendly analyst.”
