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Renewable energy is all the rage, but while homeowners can install things like solar panels, renters are being left behind.
FREMONT, CA:While homeowners can install items like solar panels, renters are being left behind. Renewable energy is all the rage. A business in Berlin is attempting to change that.
In September 2021, Karolina Attspodina and Qian Qin established We Do Solar. Renters can cut their energy costs by up to 25 per cent with the help of a solar panel kit that can connect to a balcony or fence. A micro-inverter, a plug, and mounting straps are included with the panels. They can be fastened to a privacy screen or balcony railing. When everything is installed, linked, and hooked, start making energy throughout the day immediately.
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The electricity produced is equivalent to two to three kilowatt hours, depending on location and weather. One kilowatt hour is equal to 60 phone charges. However, the technology can also run more demanding appliances like your refrigerator or washing machine. The panels feature 4G connectivity as well, and an associated app allows you to check the energy produced and keep track of the CO2 saved.
Empowering the Traditionally Excluded
Renewable energy is nothing new in Germany. According to Attspodina, she discovered that there were approximately 200,000 DIY solutions that people construct locally. Unfortunately, these weren't always in compliance with safety standards or rental laws regarding drilling in screws and bolts to make structural changes to the exterior of a rental property, and nobody wants to cause difficulty when there's a housing shortage.
However, a decision in Stuttgart made last year established a precedent for apartment solar panels by concluding that the environmental advantages of solar panels exceeded the landlord's interests.
This isn't the case throughout Europe, which is why the kit from We Do Solar includes waterproof strips that don't affect the walls of an apartment building. This effectively means that they can be installed in many rental homes.
Aiding the Transition to Carbon Neutrality
German housing practices are distinctive. Compared to the average for Western Europe, just 48.9 per cent of people live in rental homes, whereas 56.1 per cent of Germans live in apartments. This suggests that a business like We Do Solar, which can offer equipment that is typically out of these people's price range, has a chance to succeed. Cost is the only obstacle here, though.
The panels' suggested retail price of Euro 1299 is not a small expense for somebody who is already having trouble paying their power bills. However, Attspodina asserts that the German government is devoted to solar. Recently, the permitted wattage for these residential panels was raised from 600 watts to 750 watts. A grant of up to Euro 400 can be available, and the panels are VAT-free.
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