German Court Rules Renewable Energy Takes Priority Over Historic Preservation

North Rhine-Westphalia's top court establishes that climate protection outweighs heritage concerns in solar panel installation cases.

The North Rhine-Westphalia Oberverwaltungsgericht ruled that renewable energy development generally takes precedence over historic preservation in property disputes.
The decision stems from two cases involving the installation of solar panels on protected buildings in Düsseldorf and Siegen, where the court sided with property owners.
The court cited the 2022 Renewable Energy Act, which prioritizes renewable energy expansion until Germany achieves near carbon-neutral electricity generation.
Exceptions to this rule are allowed only if significant heritage-related factors are demonstrably compromised by the installation of solar panels.
While the ruling is not yet legally binding, appeals can only be made through complaints to the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig.