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Funding & Bureaucracy · Chapter 29

From signed offer to running system

The steps after signing — engineering, sign-off, grid registration, installation, meter swap, commissioning.

Updated: 2 min read Deutsch →

Between "offer accepted" and "system running" lie several steps, often in parallel for PV and heat pump. Knowing the order lets you coordinate dates and avoid surprises.

The typical PV sequence

  1. Engineering (Projektierung). The vendor produces the detailed plan (string layout, components, meter cabinet). You get it for sign-off.
  2. Your sign-off (Freigabe). An important checkpoint: here you verify everything matches the offer (module count, battery, backup, "up to X kWp" clauses) — before it becomes binding.
  3. Order confirmation based on the final engineering.
  4. Grid registration with the network operator and simultaneous ordering of the hardware.
  5. Delivery and installation dates. Usually roof mounting first (weather-dependent), then connection to the house grid.
  6. Completion notice to the grid operator → the utility inspects and fits a new meter (can take weeks).
  7. You register the system yourself in the Marktstammdatenregister (within ~1 month of commissioning).

The heat-pump sequence (in parallel)

For a funded heat pump: order confirmation with conditional clause + BzA → you apply to KfW → approval → installation (often autumn) → final invoice → you pay → BnD → draw the grant. The municipal grant slots in after the KfW approval.

What to prepare

  • Internet connection at the inverter/heat-pump location (for local control, don't rely on Wi-Fi — run LAN).
  • Clear space where the inverter and battery will go.
  • Forward messages from the grid operator to your installer — utilities don't always inform the firm.

Keep an eye on payments

Expect front-loaded instalments (e.g. 60% after module delivery). Remember retention of title (the firm owns the system until full payment) and insure the system during construction — often cheap via your existing building insurance.

In short: engineering → your sign-off (checkpoint!) → order confirmation → grid registration + ordering → roof mounting → house connection → inspection + new meter → you register in the market data register. The heat pump runs in parallel via the KfW chain. Prepare internet/space, watch payments and insurance.

That completes the execution stage. The final part is the lived experience: the real journey.

In this section

KfW heating subsidy: the process The strict sequence from BzA through application and approval to payout — and the one trap many miss. KfW loan 358/359 via your bank Who gets the low-interest supplementary loan, how it fits the sequence, and what the bank checks. Stacking municipal grants Municipalities often fund on top — how it interacts with KfW, the 60% cap, and a cautionary tale. The funding-traps checklist The sequence trap, the 60% cap, Widerruf timing, market register and prepayment — compact and checkable.