Photovoltaic financing
Table of contents
Financing photovoltaic systems: What does that mean?
The financing of a solar system refers to the purchase of a PV system with a loan. It does not matter whether the photovoltaic financing is intended for your own roof or for a PV investment on a leased roof or open space. So-called "solar loans" are often used for photovoltaic financing.
Solar loans are earmarked loans that are used to finance PV systems. In order to obtain this type of photovoltaic financing, the PV system itself or the entitlement to remuneration through the feed-in tariff is usually sufficient as a guarantee of payment for the bank.
Unlike a loan for a property, for example, with a solar loan you sometimes have the option of 100% financing. This means that you can finance the purchase costs of your photovoltaic system in full without having to invest your own capital. At the same time, in most cases the photovoltaic system pays for itself after approx. 15 - 20 years.
The possibilities of photovoltaic financing
There are various options for financing a photovoltaic system. It depends on various factors which of the options is the most suitable for you and your PV system. A combination of the various options is often possible and sensible.
Photovoltaic financing - possibilities:
- Equity and savings
- Solar loans from various banks
- KfW promotional loans
- Personal loans from friends or acquaintances
Depending on which photovoltaic financing you choose, you will have different obligations. Compare the options in terms of the amortization period for your PV system and the interest rates that apply to the financing. Seek detailed advice from experts in this field.
Who offers photovoltaic financing?
Many banks offer solar loans on favorable terms to support the energy transition. This gives you many options to negotiate the best conditions for you and find the loan that makes the most sense for you personally.
- KfW loan
The Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) is a state development bank and offers favorable loans for financing photovoltaic systems with the KfW development program 270. Some loans are available with a redemption-free 1st year. To facilitate cooperation, KfW works together with the house banks.
- Building societies
Some building societies offer photovoltaic financing in conjunction with a building society loan and interest payment loan. Here, however, the investment sums are usually limited and restricted to your own roof. Although the monthly installments are lower due to long terms, more interest can accumulate.
- Banks with an environmental focus
Banks such as UmweltBank and Ethikbank also offer photovoltaic financing. These can offer good conditions under certain circumstances. Ethikbank explicitly offers photovoltaic financing for large PV systems with an investment volume of up to €500,000. One catch: the solar system must be installed on a roof, solar parks cannot be financed.
In addition to these options, cooperative banks, for example, also offer financing for photovoltaic systems. Find out more about the options available to you.
Photovoltaic financing of a solar investment
Many of our customers opt for photovoltaic financing via a solar loan. This includes tax consultant Jens Rüggeberg, with whom we conducted an interview about the tax advantages of a direct solar investment and the possibility of photovoltaic financing.
Rüggeberg himself has acquired photovoltaic investments with a total output of over 1 megawatt from Solar Direktinvest. He paid the equivalent value of around 1.6 million euros in full via his financing bank - he did not spend a cent himself. At the same time, he benefits from a profit surplus during the term of the loan due to the high electricity yields and sales.
"More and more PV systems came together. And then I went to my financing bank and they affectionately called me the Sun King, because that's where I went to sign the next contract. And then my banker and his investment advisor said: Oh, here comes the Sun King again! When I said to them: Man, you have to understand that. It's all life planning. For the first 20 years while I'm paying off my mortgage, I'm not really interested in the photovoltaic system. And then there comes a point when the thing is paid for. And then I look forward to the solar pension."
Jens Rüggeberg
Tax consultant and photovoltaic investor
About Solar Direktinvest GmbH
Solar Direktinvest GmbH specializes in the acquisition, purchase, brokerage, development, construction, maintenance, insurance and sale of rooftop and ground-mounted photovoltaic systems in Germany. We provide you with everything you need for a carefree, risk-free and green investment from a single source.
Our headquarters are located in Nuremberg (Bavaria). Directly on the Wöhrder See and thus in the best central location, we manage our Germany-wide business alongside companies such as Mercedes Benz AG, Apo Bank eG and VR Bank eG.
Photovoltaic financing: mentions in the press and media
Below you will find an excerpt of mentions and articles that report on Solar Direktinvest GmbH. If you would like to purchase a solar investment with photovoltaic financing from us, you can also read about the experiences of our customers here. Under Press you will find further articles about the various aspects of a solar investment.
Photovoltaic financing - example projects
At Solar Direktinvest GmbH, you can acquire a solar investment with photovoltaic financing. Regardless of whether you are looking for a new or existing system, a roof-mounted or ground-mounted system. With our large pool of photovoltaic systems, Solar Direktinvest GmbH makes it possible for you to find exactly the PV system that meets your requirements and also your financing options. Below you can see examples of photovoltaic investments that have already been sold. Take a look at our references and see our diverse projects for yourself.
Photovoltaic financing Beverstedt
Output: 128.52 kWp
Location: Lower Saxony
Commissioning: 2020
Financing PV system Doberlug
Output: 46.8 kWp
Location: Brandenburg
Commissioning: 2017
Photovoltaic financing Paetrow
Output: 1,259.65 kWp
Location: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Year of construction: 2023
Photovoltaic financing via our financing broker
The conditions of your bank for photovoltaic financing do not meet your expectations? Then take the opportunity now and get financing through us!
We have our own financial expert who can arrange financing for you via our own house bank. Because we want to support you as much as possible on the way to your solar investment - and that includes financing.
We can currently offer you photovoltaic financing at the following attractive conditions:
Depending on creditworthiness, an equity share of 20 - 30%
20-year term with one redemption-free year at the beginning
An expected interest rate of approx. 5 %
Your photovoltaic financing in 3 steps!
- Step 1
Take a look at our wide range of direct solar investments. We list all currently available photovoltaic systems on our homepage. If you are interested, we will send you a non-binding exposé with all the important information. Choose the right system for you. Can't find the right system at the moment? Please feel free to tell us about your ideas and wishes, especially regarding the investment volume. If a suitable photovoltaic system is available, we will inform you directly.
- Step 2
Make an appointment with our financial expert. In a telephone conversation, he will not only give you an initial assessment, but also further information on financing your own photovoltaic system. With him, you can work out the concept for financing your PV system simply and easily.
- Step 3
Once the bank has received all the necessary documents from you and you have received positive feedback on your financing request, the loan is disbursed. With photovoltaic financing, you are now able to purchase your own photovoltaic system.
Contact us for your photovoltaic financing
Would you like to acquire a solar investment on a leased roof area in order to benefit from the many advantages - but you don't know how to finance the PV system? Get in touch with us for your photovoltaic financing! Our financing expert will examine your request and your ideas regarding photovoltaic financing. You will receive an offer for your photovoltaic financing from us within a very short time.
If you are interested, you are welcome to send us an inquiry with your request using the contact form below. We look forward to being able to offer you not only a profitable PV investment, but also suitable financing.
What aspects should I consider when financing photovoltaics?
Every photovoltaic financing must be considered individually, because no two PV systems are the same. This means that it is not only your personal financial situation that is important, but also the requirements of the photovoltaic system you wish to purchase.
With our photovoltaic direct investments, we provide you with a specific purchase price that already includes most of the following aspects. In this way, you can go into the consultation with your financing bank with a suitable idea of the loan amount. At the same time, it is also easier for your bank to make a precise statement about the possible financing.
What are the requirements for the solar system?
In this consideration, information on the location and the solar radiation prevailing there is just as important as information on the angle of inclination of the modules or the roof and the orientation
How high will the annual yield of the PV system be?
The specific annual yield allows conclusions to be drawn about the income you are likely to achieve over the course of a year. In principle, the amount of the EEG feed-in tariff is used as a basis, as this is guaranteed when you sell your green electricity.
What running costs do you have during the operation of the PV system?
Photovoltaic systems can achieve a service life of up to 40 years. Regular maintenance and cleaning is essential to ensure this and high yields. When you purchase a Solar Invest from us, you also receive a cost-transparent , all-round carefree service. This includes monitoring, maintenance and insurance for the PV system.
How high is the remuneration you can expect when feeding electricity into the grid?
The decisive factor here is when your PV system was commissioned. The amount of the state-guaranteed feed-in tariff under the EEG varies depending on the month of the year in which a photovoltaic system is commissioned. At the same time, if you sell your solar power via direct marketing, you can receive higher sales proceeds than the feed-in tariff. In 2022, the average market value of solar was a good 20 cents per kilowatt hour fed into the grid.
Financing a photovoltaic system: how it works!
In order to obtain financing for a photovoltaic system, you should be adequately prepared for a meeting with your bank. Even if you would like to obtain financing through us, you need to provide some information so that the right financing can be arranged for you.
- Present your offer: Take the offer for the photovoltaic system you would like to purchase with you. We can only make you a financing offer once we have a concrete purchase price. Our own financial expert is very familiar with the solar direct investments we offer and, if financing is not possible for the photovoltaic system you are considering, can find you a suitable PV system from our wide range.
- Check your creditworthiness: Every bank will carry out a credit check before giving you a solar loan. For this credit check, you usually have to provide your most recent payslips and bank statements. This enables the bank to assess whether you will be able to pay in the future.
- Offer equity capital: As a rule, the more equity you bring to the investment, the better the conditions of the loan you receive. But even if you have little or no equity, it is worth buying and financing a photovoltaic system. On the one hand, you can make a profit while paying off the PV system, which goes into your own pocket. On the other hand, you can expect up to 20 more years of electricity sales after paying off the PV system.
If you are unsure which other documents you need, you are welcome to contact our financial expert. He will provide you with comprehensive information on all the necessary requirements.
How does refinancing work?
To repay your solar loan, you use the income you generate from the sale of solar power. The installments are usually calculated using the EEG feed-in tariff. The amount of the feed-in tariff and the forecast specific annual yield can be used to determine a relatively precise value that the photovoltaic system will generate each year.
In this way, you are protected if the amount of sales revenue from the direct marketing of electricity is below the state-guaranteed EEG remuneration.
However, the electricity prices for direct marketing often exceed the feed-in tariffs set by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). If you sell your photovoltaic electricity at a higher price than the EEG, you will receive a surplus profit.
This profit is usually not taken into account in the calculation of the loan, so that the money generated is "left over". In this way, the financing for the solar system not only pays for itself, but you also receive surplus profits.
What term can I expect for photovoltaic financing?
As the financing banks usually use the EEG remuneration as the basis for calculation, the term of the photovoltaic financing is extended in contrast to a calculation using the sales prices on the electricity market.
You can therefore expect your photovoltaic direct investment to have paid for itself after 20 years of financing. During this time, however, you will not have to pay a cent towards the purchase of the photovoltaic system yourself, but will also receive the surplus profits.
At the end of the photovoltaic financing period, you will own a PV investment that cost you nothing to purchase, but with which you can generate income from the sale of solar power for up to 20 more years. If you use the photovoltaic investment to save tax at the same time, you will usually receive a large tax refund. Investing in your own photovoltaic system on a leased roof area therefore pays off in many ways.
