Canton of Lucerne wants to accelerate the expansion of renewables
Der Kanton Luzern will mit der Änderung des Kantonalen Energiegesetzes das Potenzial von Solaranlagen auf Gebäuden besser ausschöpfen. Der Gesetzentwurf sieht bei Neubauten eine angemessene Ausnutzung der Dachfläche vor. Dasselbe gilt bei Dachsanierungen von bestehenden Häusern.
The cantonal government of Lucerne has presented its draft legislation on the expansion of electricity production from renewable energies. The amendment to the Cantonal Energy Act provides for better utilisation of roof surfaces to generate solar power.
According to a press release, new buildings will no longer be required to generate only a portion of the electricity they require themselves, but will have to “adequately utilise” the electricity generation potential of the roof surface. Electricity generation requirements are also proposed for existing buildings, as they in particular have “immense potential for electricity generation”.
This is in the interest of a rapid expansion of locally produced renewable energy, according to District President Fabian Peter: This will “not only enable us to achieve our climate targets, but also increase our energy supply security”. After all, photovoltaic systems on roofs in the canton could generate a total of 2.4 terawatt hours of solar power. According to the figures, this is more than double the current electricity consumption of all private households.
Photovoltaic systems will now also be allowed to be installed on another roof within a certain group of buildings, for example on stables, haylofts, commercial buildings or school grounds. This is the government council’s response to a frequently expressed concern from the public consultation. This took place from 15 December to 6 April 2023.
The majority agreed with the general thrust, objectives and principles of the new regulations. This amendment to the Cantonal Energy Act is expected to be on the agenda for the upcoming May session of the Cantonal Council.