On 17 June 2021, representatives from Berlin's public administration, business and civil society discussed how to accelerate the expansion of tenant electricity in Berlin in the virtual expert workshop of the StromNachbarn project. Practical experience inputs enriched the discussion.

By 2030, Berlin wants to cover 25 percent of its electricity supply from solar energy. This corresponds to an electricity generation of 3,900 GWh and an installed capacity of photovoltaic (PV) systems of 4,400 MW - 34 times the capacity of just under 130 MW installed in Berlin by the end of 2020. The targets in the updated feasibility study ‘Climate Neutral Berlin 2050’ are even more ambitious. What all targets have in common is that they require a drastic acceleration of the pace of expansion.

The expert workshop addressed concrete implementation obstacles of the currently practiced tenant electricity model. In addition, attendees discussed possible paths for future technical-economic development of tenant electricity concepts and the redesign of the legal framework. The experts agreed that the framework conditions require fundamental changes at various levels. Today, tenant electricity projects are only economically viable in a small segment. Moreover, metering with its complex and therefore cost-intensive requirements as well as the administrative obligations for operators are major obstacles. Constructive and deliberative discussion about the best possible design of the funding regime encouraged an exchange between the participants. The results of the workshop will be incorporated into the further work on the project. The final report will be published at the end of 2021.