BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Millions of households in Germany could generate electricity inexpensively on the roof of their own apartment building. This is the result of a study by the German Economic Institute (IW), which is available to the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers. According to the study, however, this option is very rarely used.

Of the 19 million households in apartment buildings, up to 14.3 million were able to take advantage of so-called tenant electricity. According to the survey, there is a tenant electricity potential of 43 terawatt hours (TWh). According to the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, total electricity generation from solar systems amounted to 61 TWh last year.

In the case of tenant electricity, roofs of apartment buildings are equipped with solar systems. It is true that self-supply with electricity is cheaper than buying it on the market, for example because the public electricity grid is not used and therefore no grid fees are incurred. However, expansion is stagnating. According to the IW, the regulations on tenant electricity represent a major obstacle for tenants and owners' associations. The researchers therefore call for planning to be standardized and implemented nationwide./dmo/DP/zb