Heritage approval clears hidden solar roof in Salzburg

Salzburg’s historic centre will get a photovoltaic system concealed in a sheet-metal roof, after heritage experts approved the design, ORF reported. The installation in Pfeifergasse is among the first solar roofs in the city’s old-town protection zone.

Architect Michael Strobl said the project took two and a half years to plan, with work on site expected to take two months before the system can begin operating. Approval was required because of the strict heritage protections in the area.

The solar panels are designed to look like conventional sheet metal. Once installed, only the familiar vertical seams of the roof will be visible, said Rainer Nimmervoll, head of the roofing company carrying out the work.

Strobl said the approach could serve as a model for other buildings in protected areas. Experts said renewable energy is increasingly needed to keep Salzburg’s old town viable, including to help cool its buildings.