Because a company made a mistake when installing the solar panels, a wine growing company in Burgenland had to have them dismantled. The construction had a fatal flaw. A legal dispute is now looming.
In the fight against climate change, generating electricity from the power of the sun is a highly regarded concept for the future. The demand for photovoltaic systems continues unabated. A renowned winery in the Neusiedl am See district has committed itself to the wise use of renewable energy sources. But now dark storm clouds are gathering over the winery.
On the extensive roof of the wine hall, which already offers space for a PV installation with a capacity of 100 kWp, additional solar panels should increase the ecological benefits. However, during the official negotiations for the expansion, a fatal error came to light during the installation of the existing PV system.
Defects officially confirmed
“Specifically, the structure was mounted on the roof, which is covered with sandwich panels. In contrast to the building permit, which is mandatory in Burgenland from 20 kWp, the executing company did not connect the PV system ‘non-positively’ to the supporting structure of the roof,” the criticism reads. This means that the PV system is not directly attached to the solid wooden structure of the roof construction. “Only the outer covering shell of the sandwich panels was included during installation,” an expert explains the official defects.
According to the building inspection, this careless laying variant is not permitted because the long-term load-bearing capacity of this roof covering cannot be guaranteed, the expert notes. The risk that PV systems mounted in this way could fail during a heavy storm and cause enormous damage to the house or even to people is too great.
Serious setback for the environmentally conscious winemaker! He was instructed to have the incorrectly installed PV system completely removed. That is more than 300 solar panels that must be removed from the roof. The order was given because of ‘imminent danger’.
A lawsuit is looming
Because the energy and environmental technology company responsible for this in the Eisenstadt-Raum district apparently does not want to give in, the wine growing company is threatening legal action. For Deputy State Governor Astrid Eisenkopf, responsible for consumer protection, the matter is clear: “The responsibility and liability clearly lie with the installation company.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
