The Bliss of the Sun or: The Saga of Our Solar System

There are projects where you think, "This is a piece of cake." And then you get a rude awakening and the little piece of cake turns into a lump, even a millstone around your neck. That's what happened to us with our solar system.

Planning costs energy before it releases it

It all started innocently enough sometime in 2022. We decided to move toward sustainable energy. We researched, discussed, and settled on a solar system. It had to be efficient, not significantly detract from the aesthetics, and, of course, ideally connected. To achieve optimal performance, we worked with experts to plan for every usable square centimeter of roof space. 60 kilowatts per hour was the stated goal, as our annual consumption at the winery currently amounts to almost 50,000 kilowatt hours (kWh), and the trend is rising.

Our winery consists of several buildings. The oldest part of the complex is the barn with our old wine cellar and our thatched room, dating back to 1609. The newest cellar extension dates back to 2002. In between, there are several other buildings, as each generation, with great creativity, somehow added something new. Real-life Tetris, so to speak.

With the help of an electrician, we planned for every roof that made sense. Only the historic barn roof didn't get solar panels.

Will the roof hold?

Photo: Assembly expert Artur at work

Once we knew what we wanted, the next step was to contact an official from the Farmers' and Winegrowers' Association. He examined whether our roofs were even suitable. It turned out that an old building from the 1980s still had an asbestos roof, which was illegal to build on. So we had to remove it first and replace it.

But the winemaker's job wasn't going to stop us! We donned special protective gear and, with three men, dismantled and reassembled the roof within two days. We'd rather not mention the disposal costs. They're responsible for about 15 of the new gray hairs.

The first application

Then (because in Germany, everything starts with an application), we applied for a so-called "grid application" from our regional electricity provider. Approval took a few weeks, and then, full of optimism, we placed the order for our wonderful 60-kilowatt system in October 2022.

The endless delivery time

Because it seemed like the whole of Germany was stocking up on solar panels, the delivery time was astonishing. "Almost a year," we were told. We sighed and practiced patience. In the end, however, the solar panels didn't arrive until over a year later. That was in May 2024.

The assembly on the roofs above Weyher

Under expert guidance, we vertigo-free winegrowers climbed back onto the roof and installed our brand-new solar panels. Three people worked at this lofty height for almost two weeks in the intense heat of August 2024. A workplace with the most beautiful panoramic view ever – it's a shame we couldn't get you all up on the roof! When we were finished, we were practically bursting with pride and could hardly wait to finally connect the system.

The second application

But then we were surprised to discover that the Pfalzwerke permit was only valid for one year and had already expired due to the long delivery time.

So we submitted the same application again. "Not so bad," we thought. "Just a formality." And we were stunned when the response came: The exact same clerk who had approved our identical application a year ago now informed us that he would only approve half of the previously approved roof area because our house connection was too small.

We were completely lost. Our house connection hadn't shrunk, had it? To the barricades, you counts!

Following our protest, Pfalzwerke commissioned experts who, with a frown on their faces, examined our house connection – and ultimately determined that it was large enough. Hurray!

We threw our hats in the air... until Pfalzwerke sent us the bill for the experts. Naturally, we refused to pay. The ensuing correspondence was responsible for 30 more gray hairs.

The third motion

Because the second application only approved "half" of our already installed systems, we had to submit it a third time. We did this reluctantly... and, oh miracle, in November 2024, we actually received approval for the entire area!

The connection

Now it was a matter of connecting all the elements together and building a coherent system, or rather, feeding the whole thing into the supra-regional grid. Our original electrician had since retired (no joke!). So we got quotes from three new electricians.

• The first electrician looked at everything, shook his head thoughtfully, and told us that the whole thing was too big for him.

• The second electrician looked at everything, shook his head, and told us that the planned inverters were completely wrong and that a larger connection cabinet was also necessary. In short: incorrect planning, incorrect equipment installed, unfortunately, all rubbish.
  We swallowed hard and 40 more hairs lost their color.

• The third electrician, however, was familiar with the inverters (a German brand that's not often installed) and agreed to take on the job. We practically threw our arms around him.

The “promotion”

The system cost a total of around €145,000 net, not including our own labor. Unlike private households, we weren't eligible for any government subsidies... industry and agriculture have to handle such conversions entirely on their own. However, at the time of our initial application, VAT exemption applied to everyone who purchased a solar system (whether private individuals or businesses). We relied on this when we ordered the system.

But the law was subsequently overturned. Currently, it's still completely unclear whether we (and everyone else) will have to pay the 19% VAT back or not. It's certainly not good for the economy when politics is constantly on the up and up.

The race against time

Every solar system produces electricity depending on the number of hours of sunshine. The operator can use this electricity for their own needs. This is clear. However, production doesn't always match demand:

• If too little is produced, you simply buy additional electricity (as was the case in the past), currently at a price of 35 cents per kilowatt hour.

• If too much energy is produced, the excess energy is automatically fed into the supra-regional grid. In return, you receive a hefty 8 cents per kilowatt-hour as a "feed-in tariff."

But even those paltry 8 cents have been eliminated since February 1, 2025: All systems connected to the grid by companies since then will no longer receive any money. So, the electricity is being given to the energy suppliers, which they can then resell. (Why didn't we develop a business model like that?).

Like something out of a thriller, we managed to complete our solar system at the last minute, just before the magic deadline: It was connected to the grid on January 21, 2025. Hooray! And gasp. Relieved, euphoric, and exhausted, we crossed the finish line.

The result

(As of March 12, 2025)

You can imagine that we are now following our solar statistics with such fascination that even a fourteen-year-old with a TikTok fixation would pale in comparison.

Even now in winter, our beautiful system is delivering impressive performance: Our own winter energy needs at the winery are already covered by just a few sunny days! This independence is truly rewarding. According to official calculations, the system will pay for itself in about six years, depending on the weather. That means we'll have recouped the €145,000 in initial investment costs by 2030.

But the best part: Since January 21, 2025, we've already saved over 2,400 CO2 emissions thanks to the PV system. This is so amazing that we almost don't care about our premature graying.

This is true sustainability, something we've been fighting for for years, even though we're not certified organic. We explain why here:

Organic or not organic, that is the question

Sit back like we did, enjoy the sunny hours ahead, and sip a glass of wine with pleasure. The good fight has been fought. Long live solar panels!

Your slightly gray but sun-soaking counts