The municipality of Gräfelfing is revamping its energy-saving support program for the coming year, adapting it to the current supply situation and increased demand. The total amount of funding is more than doubled. The Graefel fingers are also daring to experiment and will subsidize repairs to electrical appliances in the future in order to save resources.
The pandemic and the Ukraine war have led to a sharp increase in funding applications, said Lydia Brook from the Environment Agency in the Environment Committee. While just 20 applications for funding were made in 2018, there were 148 applications in 2021. The municipality paid out almost 152,000 euros in grants in 2021, in 2018 it was only around 18,000 euros. A large proportion of the applications – 86 percent – relate to the promotion of photovoltaic systems. In order to be able to promote the conversion to climate-friendly energy supply in the municipality even more, the committee increased the total funding volume to 250,000 euros per year.
There is no more money for pellet heating
In the new funding program 2023, so-called balcony power plants that produce electricity are also to be funded in the future. There is a flat rate of 200 euros per 600-watt system. Battery storage for photovoltaic systems are also new on the grant list, for which there are 250 euros per kilowatt hour, up to a maximum of 1500 euros. In the future, photovoltaic systems will no longer be subsidized on a percentage basis, but with 300 euros per kilowatt peak, with a maximum of 2000 euros being available. There will no longer be subsidies for pellet heating systems, fuel cells and measures to reduce electricity consumption.
The new repair bonus should be an incentive to pay more attention to sustainability and resource conservation. The community wants to pay 20 percent of the repair costs, up to a maximum of 100 euros per repair of an electrical device. Two applications per household per year are allowed. Anyone who has a device repaired by volunteers in the Repair Café can also receive a subsidy, up to a maximum of 50 euros. The bonus is paid for kitchen and household, IT and telecommunications, as well as gardening equipment. The committee spontaneously decided to also subsidize bicycle trailers in the future, with 20 percent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of 100 euros.