Balcony PV power plants in Austria: Public support for adoption and differences in implementation between Austria and Germany

Abstract

In light of climate change and the immediate need for action to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, a rapid energy transition must be pursued. Internationally, Austria has committed to various goals, but to achieve them, all levels of society must be involved in the energy transition. The example of balcony power plants, i.e. plug-in photovoltaic systems with a maximum output of 800 watts, is used to show how Austria is supporting the energy transition from the bottom. The thesis deals with the following research questions: (1) “What are the differences in the implementation of a balcony PV power plant in Austria compared to Germany?”, (2) “How do institutions in Austria monetarily support the installation of balcony PV power plants at different levels?”, and (3) “How quickly would a balcony PV power plant pay for itself and how much money can a household save?” The first chapters give insights in the topics of the energy transition and renewable energies, before elaborating on the concept of balcony PV powerplants in Austria. The thesis aims to investigate the convenience of implementing a plugin PV system as well as possible monetary subsidies in order to find out how Austriaen courages individuals to participate in the energy transition. Therefore, a comparison regarding the implementation of plug-in photovoltaic systems between Germany and Austria is conducted to disclose possibilities for individuals to participate in the energy transition. After that, the Austrian subsidy system for balcony power plants is analysed to see whether monetary support is available. In a last chapter, a cost-benefit analysis is conducted to show the financial viability of plug-in PV systems.The results of the thesis show that Austria is offering little incentive for the acquisition of a balcony power plant on the state, federal and city level. There is still room for improvement in order to convert uncertain potential customers into prosumers that produce and consume their own electricity. However, the implementation of a balcony PV power plant is easier in Austria than in Germany. Furthermore, the cost-benefit analysis shows that plug-in PV amortise increasingly quickly, especially due to the high electricity prices and the ever lower material prices for photovoltaic systems. Already today, a plug-in PV can help a household not only to save money, but also to make a contribution to the energy transition from the bottom.