Earning potential of solar panels at home - Germany

Does anyone have any direct, factual, information about the typical output, and potential earnings from selling the power, from a south facing solar panel site?

The building in which our flat is located has a roof ~80m long and about 15m wide, facing more or less due south, clear of all trees with a direct view of the sky and sloped at an ideal angle for capturing the sun. I understand the subsidies for installing these panels are pretty good and these panels are popping up like mushrooms around the countryside. I have absolutely no experience and am just starting some research into the subject and would be interesed in others' experiences.

This idea started off as a joke to wind up all the old farts in our Eigentuemergemeinschaft (along with applying for permission to create an FKK area in the garden) but a solar roof might actually be a good idea.

Nobody has any experience with solar panels (See post above)? I'm surprised but will endeavour to find out and post results.

I had the figures a couple of years ago. The government will subsidise the purchase of the equipment and then guarantee a minimum price per unit. I don't remember the figures, bit it's a fairly generous subsidy, although you'll still need to be in it for the medium term (say 5-10 years) to pay it back (increased value of the property excluded). Your local council should be able to help you.

http://www.katalysejournal.sepeur-media.de/fp/archiv/AfA_bauenwohnengarten/15334.php -- recent article with some vocabulary to help your googling. You don't have to have it on your own roof even: look for "Solardachbörsen" where you rent some roof space for your panels.

I know a fella who has a solar roof, I'll ask him to get in touch with you.

are you sure it is as long as that STB. I cannot find the link but I read somewhere that the reimbursement is set at a delibrerately attractive level so that homeowners could make their money back relatively quickly. This is the reason why takeup of solar technologies is higher in Germany than elsewhere.

Contact the BMU. It is in both English and German.

You start making money after about 16 years if your roof has a good angle. The panels I know about are guaranteed for 20 years' use. And there's hail insurance included or something.

Thanks very much for that everyone, will start researching! Sixteen years seems like a long time before seeing a return on the investment, I was expecting something like five.

Are you only ceoncerned in the Financial returns?

What about the efect it will have on the enviroment?

I am currently working trying to make Solar powered satellite systems with Small LCD Tvs..

Yes, more or less only the financials, I already do my bit for the environment in other ways, and I'll leave philosophising and theorising about the possible drawbacks to someone else. As some very clever person in the government has decided that these solar panels are a good thing then they're good enough for me, but for the others in our Eigentuemergemeinschaft to have any chance of accepting it there will have to be a profit involved somewhere, and soon as many of them will die soon.

Do they also guarantee that after 10-15 years the panels still produce the same amount of electricity? Otherwise the whole calculation might be wrong.

Something to be aware of:
Two things could get confused. "Solaranlagen" that use solar energy to heat water and "Photovoltaikanlagen" that create electricity from solar energy. Putting a "Solaranlage" on your roof would be maintenance costs. Building a "Photovoltaikanlage" and selling electricity is a business. You would have to register a "Gewerbe".

And then you can get a Metro card.

Yes, I suppose I should be clear that I'm talking about the electricity generating type of panels.

Test.de has something about this… check:
Test.de report about solar panel investmenrt return - headline rate 7%

I agree with the test article. A roof like you describe is a very sure investment. We have one that is a bit overshadowed at the marginesy at some times of the day by a tree. We have had Photovoltaik for 5 years (when the panels were still prohibitively expensive but the guaranteed resale rates higher) and we expect to make 6 Percent a year.