Vienna will fund innovative solar projects that use urban spaces beyond traditional rooftops under a new €7 million funding package
Building-integrated and vertical façade PV systems are among the key technologies eligible for support
The city aims to significantly expand solar capacity by 2030 as part of its energy transition strategy
Austria’s capital Vienna has launched a new solar power subsidy scheme with a €7 million package to fund innovative and multifunctional PV systems in urban areas.
The city administration says it will support PV solutions that are cost-intensive or complex to implement yet make a significant contribution to the utilization of new land areas.
Vienna targets expanding its solar power capacity to 800 MW by 2030, generating enough clean energy to supply a quarter of local households. This improvement will be more than double that seen between 2020 and February 2026, in which period it expanded from 50 MW to 330 MW.
To complement rooftop solar, the administration is now also considering building façades as additional space for solar panels, especially since vertical PV systems can generate more electricity in the mornings, evenings, and winter. These systems can also help balance grid demand and reduce reliance on imported electricity.
Vienna City Councilor for Climate Jürgen Czernohorszky explained, “As long as we heat with gas and oil, we are dependent on foreign energy supplies. Only phasing out gas will protect the wallets of Viennese residents in the long term, which is why it makes an immense contribution to maintaining our quality of life. This is not just about protecting the climate, but also about regaining control over our energy prices.”
He added, “Solar power plays a crucial role on the path to energy independence and a climate-friendly future. It is therefore obvious that we must actively support its expansion.”
Eligible systems for funding include vertically mounted systems on building façades – both pre-hung and building-integrated (BIPV) systems – that complement rooftop systems by generating electricity in the morning and afternoon. System outputs from 3 kW to 1,000 kW will be eligible for a subsidy rate of €700/kW. A maximum of 30% of eligible costs will be covered by the subsidy, with a maximum subsidy of €250,000 per system.
PV roof gardens for publicly accessible or community-use spaces that provide shade on roof structures with a minimum size of 20 m² will be eligible for €600/kW for system sizes ranging from 1 kW to 1,000 kW. It will cover a maximum of 30% of eligible costs. A maximum subsidy amount of €50,000 per system is available under this category.
Beyond these, subsidies will also be available for existing categories of PV systems on multi-story residential buildings, rooftop PV systems for businesses, on areas such as parking lots and storage areas, as well as PV on green roofs.
Moreover, Vienna is also expanding its free PV consulting service via telephone or video call, while extending its 1,2,3 Sun Voucher for shared PV systems on multi-story residential buildings. Under this, the city administration conducts an initial building assessment that will now also include an evaluation of the PV potential of the façades.
The funding package was launched on May 4, 2026. Details are available on the government website.
