EIB Backs Recurrent Energy’s Italian Expansion with €50 Million Facility

Freiburg is taking a bold step in its mission to become climate-neutral by 2035 with a new initiative aimed at boosting large-scale photovoltaic installations across the city. The local council has launched this project as part of its wind power and solar energy offensive, funded by the "Future Climate Protection Fund."

One of the main challenges identified by the city is the cost burden on operators of photovoltaic systems with outputs over 30 kilowatts, who are required to cover the expenses for grid connection. This financial hurdle has deterred many potential operators, leaving a significant amount of rooftop solar potential untapped.

To address this, Freiburg, through a pilot project by Badenova, is now offering subsidies of up to €1,000 per kilowatt of installed capacity to cover grid connection costs. The first project to benefit from this initiative is a 240-kilowatt photovoltaic plant being installed on the roof of Fred Bank GmbH in the northern industrial area, with the grid connection subsidy capped at €50,000.

The city has allocated an initial budget of €300,000 for the years 2023 and 2024, available to all photovoltaic systems over 30 kilowatts that are not mandated by the Baden-Württemberg Climate Protection Act. Freiburg encourages all interested parties to apply, as the solar potential on the city's rooftops is far from fully realized.