Berlin gives guidelines for mounting solar on listed buildings

Some of the most productive solar installations in the city are on listed buildings, such as Red City Hall

This week, Berlin announced a new guide on how to install solar panels on protected buildings. The guide was developed by the Berlin State Heritage Authority in cooperation with Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Works. It aims of dispelling misconceptions about listed buildings and photovoltaics, showing that the two can be reconciled.

The guide gives a practical overview of where photovoltaic systems can be installed on architectural monuments and their adjacent territory. According to the city, even with existing regulations, listed buildings have a lot of usable space with minimal intervention, while preserving most of what makes a building protected.

Roofs are usually a safe bet

Well-designed roof-mounted systems would usually be completely fine. Adding minor colour adjustments to the modules could open even more possibilities.

This is because if the roof is not explicitly unique or elaborately designed, characteristic of the cityscape, it can be altered and maintained.

Additionally, roofs tend to be the best place to install solar panels in the first place, as they get the most uninterrupted sunlight compared to facades.

Using listed buildings to generate electricity in Berlin is not only possible, but it is also already happening. According to the city, the roofs of the Red Town Hall, the industrial roofs in Oberschöneweide and soon the Berlin Exhibition Centre are some of the most productive installations in the city.

At the same time, the city recommends people planning an intervention on a protected site to do an early consultation with the Berlin State Heritage Authority. Dr Christoph Rauhut, Director and Chief Conservator at the Authority was quoted in a press statement explaining that state agencies in the field want to work intensively towards CO2 reduction and enabling more solar energy.

The guide itself is aimed at both private owners and architects. The resource also provides information on the legal background, names advice options and offers a checklist for practical implementation.