Solar PV Panels in Apartments

jrk0147

Hello,

I live in a small development complex (20 units) and I was hoping to install solar PV panels on the roof top. I live on the top (third) floor and there is an attic access directly from my apartment (the attic belongs to the management company).

I've got in touch with the management company and since they have never dealt with installing PV panels on the roof of apartments they have a number of initial concerns:


1. 100% it would then have to be voted on by all residents at the complex.

2. How would it affect the block insurance policy?

3. Access to install the panels?-It would more than likely have to be scaffolding. Thus any service issues will require scaffolding every time? Cost effective?

4. If there was easy access to the roof, the installation & servicing of the panels would be much easier.

5. Legal responsibility? i.e. any damage to the roof by contractors would fall back on the member i.e. It could not be the case that the management company would be chasing the contractor.

6. Directors would have to sign off on it.



It looks like there would be a long way to make it work, although I would be very keen to push to have a renewable energy and lesser impact on the environment.

Has anyone successfully installed the PV panels on the roof of apartments in Ireland and could share the process / difficulty?

Thank you!

BryanF

2. Negatively
3. Permanent access maybe required

idc

Honestly I don't see it working, although you happen to be on top floor, what if the people on all the other floors beneath you decided they wanted PV as well. Would you then up splitting each roof section into 3 for instance. Worse if the building had 4 or 5 floors :P

Where this would be a lot simpler is the management company fit panels to the roof for powering communal areas. halls/landings lights etc.

JB_Dublin

As an apartment owner, you usually own about 1cm into the wall of your apartment. All wires and cabling belong to the management company as does the roof. So legally you cannot install your personal panels. However apartment solar sharing is common in Germany and has been trialed elsewhere ie. London using sharing (tokens) technologies (https://www.smart-energy.com/industry-sectors/distributed-generation/edf-launches-blockchain-p2p-solar-and-storage-trading-pilot/).
Living in a block of 20 is actually a good size, if you can convince enough to install and trial one of these systems. The scheme could be opened to all apartment owners, those who contribute a certain percentage to the cost and get a certain percentage of the electricity generated.
Contact one of the electric suppliers who have an innovation wing and see if there is a trial you can get on.
I salute your efforts !!

unkel

If you have a balcony, get a single solar PV panel and connect it to a micro inverter and then the micro inverter into a 3 pin socket. Voila, your bills will be reduced and the payback period of the system is only a few years.