ᐅ Is it possible to sell self-generated electricity to tenants in a multi-family building?
Created on: 14 Oct 2025 20:44
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Heidi1965
I own a house built in 1994 with four rented apartments. So far, heating has been provided by individual gas boilers. Now, I want to add insulation, install a photovoltaic system, and switch to a heat pump. An energy consultant has prepared everything. Only now have I understood that the electricity generated by the photovoltaic system can only be used to operate the heat pump. Any electricity not needed by the heat pump (in summer) must be fed back into the grid for 8 cents per kWh. Until now, I thought I could also sell this surplus electricity to the tenants – for example, at 15 or 20 cents per kWh. That would seem like a win/win situation. However, the tenants keep their own electricity meters and continue to purchase their household electricity from their own suppliers.
I am concerned that, in the end, a lot of electricity will be fed back to the grid at a low rate, since the main electricity production is in summer, when the heat pump is needed the least (only for hot water). Or is there another solution?
I am concerned that, in the end, a lot of electricity will be fed back to the grid at a low rate, since the main electricity production is in summer, when the heat pump is needed the least (only for hot water). Or is there another solution?
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Heidi196517 Oct 2025 14:42A: insulation only (10,000) and replacement of gas boilers when they fail. Out of 4 units from 1994, 3 are still running. 1 was replaced last year.
B: including insulation and heat pump minus subsidies: 75,000
C: including insulation, heat pump, and photovoltaic system minus subsidies: 90,000
B: including insulation and heat pump minus subsidies: 75,000
C: including insulation, heat pump, and photovoltaic system minus subsidies: 90,000
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MachsSelbst17 Oct 2025 16:18This is really a business concept. The modernization costs are passed on to the rent, and the tenants still have to buy electricity at 20 cents/kWh, even though they are effectively paying for the photovoltaic system through their rent... as well as for maintenance, insurance, and so on.
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Heidi196517 Oct 2025 16:27That’s nonsense. The entire renovation costs cannot be passed on to the tenants. And if tenants could really buy electricity for 20 cents per kilowatt-hour (without a basic fee), that would be a real bargain. Where else can you get electricity cheaper?
Heidi1965 schrieb:
A: insulation only (10,000) and replacement of the gas boilers when they fail. Out of 4 units from 1994, 3 are still working. 1 was replaced last year.
B: including insulation and heat pump minus subsidy: 75,000,-- I still don’t understand... in option B, the insulation should only cost 10,000 euros, so the heat pump after subsidy should be 65,000 euros? Is it made of gold? Or what other work is supposed to be covered in that amount?
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Jesse Custer17 Oct 2025 17:23kbt09 schrieb:
I still don’t understand… in option B, the insulation should only cost 10,000 euros, so the heat pump after subsidies is supposed to cost 65,000 euros? Is it made of gold? Or which other works are supposed to be included in that price?Since I don’t know the specifics of the house, I can only guess—but based on my assumption, 65,000 euros for the heat pump including everything after subsidies is not an issue.
Keep in mind: you have to completely redesign the entire heating concept! Currently, the building has four fully independent apartments, each with its own heating and water supply; all of that needs to be newly installed, connected, and above all, properly centrally planned.
That’s something completely different from replacing just one gas boiler for all four apartments… and the stress with the tenants during that time… I’d go mad.
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