Heat sources and energy

In connection with the establishment of a geothermal heating system, you must apply for a permit from the municipality. Read our guidance and information for application, before applying. You can also go to the digital map where you can make your sketch for the application.

Remember to complete your geothermal heating system.

If you suspect that the system is leaking, the municipality must be notified immediately. Stop any outflow, for example by emptying the system. This must be done with the assistance of an expert in the field.

You can expect to have the permit within 4 weeks.

If you heat your property with oil or electricity or live in an area without district heating or natural gas, you can save energy with a heat pump. You do not have to have a permit for a heat pump, but we recommend that you ally yourself with a professionally trained installer.

Heat pumps utilize the energy of the surroundings to heat the property. The pump takes heat from eg the outdoor air or the ground and transfers it to radiators, underfloor heating or directly as hot air in the rooms.

The three most common heat pumps are for ground heating, air-to-air and air-to-water pumps. These are most suitable for year-round houses, while air to air is good for holiday homes or as a supplement to electric heating in year-round houses.

You can figure out what your savings by switching to a heat pump will be with The Danish Energy Agency calculator.

A heat pump is a bit noisy. Therefore, carefully consider where you place your heat pump so that neither you, your family nor the neighbors are bothered by the noise. You can find an online noise calculator on the Danish Energy Agency's website, where there is also a good guide to avoid noise problems.

Sonderborg Municipality makes decisions about wind turbines on land, while the Danish Energy Agency is responsible for offshore wind power, including large-scale parks and coastal offshore wind turbines.

Wind turbines are treated differently depending on the size of the turbines.

Small wind turbines

Small wind turbines include household turbines, mini turbines and micro turbines. You must apply to the municipality for the installation of these turbines, and in most cases one will have to be provided a land zone permit.

Large wind turbines

Planning for large wind turbines on land takes place in the municipal plan, where the municipality designates areas that are potentially suitable for setting up wind turbines. In the upcoming municipal plan 2023-2035, efforts are being made to designate vacant land for large wind turbines.

Read more about wind turbines and large solar systems here.

Before setting up a new oil tank, you should consider whether you want to convert to another heating source instead. 

If you need a new oil tank for fuel gas oil, you must notify this to Sonderborg Municipality 14 days before you set up the new oil tank. Along with the notification, you must submit a drawing showing where the tank is located as well as a tank certificate on the new tank.

Only an expert who has taken out business and product liability insurance may connect oil tanks and oil pipelines.

Remember to keep your BBR up to date www.bbr.dk, where you can also see information about current oil tanks.

Are you moving your oil tank?
Buried oil tanks must not be moved, while above-ground oil tanks can be moved. However, it must be reported to the municipality. An above-ground tank may only be moved if the tank is provided with the original nameplate and the tank certificate is included.

How do I remove an old oil tank?

If your tank is no longer in use, the tank must be taken out of use and discarded. You must report this to Sonderborg Municipality no later than four weeks after the loop. Here the tank is emptied of residual contents and either removed completely from the property or blinded. Remember to inform the municipality how your property will be heated in the future and if you notice leaks in the oil tank. 

When cancelling, the tank is emptied of residual contents and vacuumed, the filling nozzle and vent pipe are removed, and the tank is unplugged so that oil cannot be refilled. Residual waste is disposed of as hazardous waste. Sonderborg Municipality recommends that the work is carried out by a company or by someone with experience in the field, so that it is done according to the rules.

You can always check www.bbr.dk to see if there are registered oil tanks that have previously been in use on your land register, but have not been reported to the municipality. You can have the information corrected by obtaining documentation that the tank has been removed or blinded.

Oil tanks whose year of manufacture is not known or can be determined must be disposed of. If your villa oil tank (less than 6.000 liters) is from before 1970, you must be aware the cancellation deadlines to prevent any accidents and thereby pollution. If your oil tank is larger than 6.000 liters or from after 1970, only self-inspection is required.

Some solar panels require a permit, others do not.

You must ensure that the facility is in accordance with the applicable building regulations, local plans, registered declarations or other registrations on or around the property.

Solar cells mounted on a stand - freestanding and on the roof
If you place your solar cells or solar panels on a stand, it always requires the municipality's permission. If the location is in a rural or urban zone, it requires a rural zone or building permit.

Solar cells on commercial buildings and multi-storey buildings
If you place your solar cells or solar collectors on commercial buildings, agricultural buildings or multi-storey properties, it requires the municipality's permission. 

Solar cells placed directly on the roof surface
Solar cells or solar panels directly on the roof surface do not require a building permit, unless it is a commercial building or multi-storey property. It may be that the case requires dispensation or permission from other rules. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether your property is covered by a local plan, is worthy of preservation or is covered by an area protection or a protection line.

You can see if you need permission or dispensation on our digital cards. Click on "Search", select "Find address" and enter your address. Select "i" at the top and click on your property, after which an overview of what applies to your property is displayed. 

If any of the following issues affect your building, you must apply for a permit or dispensation:

• Protected or listed buildings
  If the building is listed, it requires an independent permit from the Danish Agency for Culture. Normally, it will not be possible to set up solar cells on a listed building. You must contact the Danish Agency for Culture yourself if you want to investigate the matter further. 

  If the building is registered as worthy of preservation, you must contact Sonderborg Municipality, because special care must be taken not to destroy the preservation value.

• Local plan or city plan statute

  If your property is covered by a local plan or a city plan statute, you must contact the municipality, as there may be regulations that mean that you may not set up solar cells or solar collectors.

  If so, apply for a waiver from the local plan. In case of uncomplicated cases, we try to give you an answer within 2 weeks.

• Protected areas or lines of protection

  Area protections or protection lines can prevent the installation of solar cells or solar collectors, and this will require a concrete application before we can determine whether solar cells can be permitted. Read more about the protection lines.

• Church landscape

  It requires permission from Haderslev Diocese to set up solar cells within an area that is a church landscape. If necessary, send an inquiry by e-mail to Haderslev parish. If the photovoltaic system requires a permit or dispensation from the municipality, we offer to send the case to the diocese.

If your property is not affected by the map themes shown, you do not need a permit from the municipality. However, remember to report the solar panels to BBR.

Solar cell and solar collector systems for industrial use
When you apply for a solar cell and solar collector system for industrial use, an EIA notification is required.

What do I have to submit to Sonderborg Municipality to get a permit for a solar panels system?

Your application must include the following information:

• Address
• The size of the plant in m²
• Power of the system
• A justification for the location
• Drawing of the location of the system and indication of height

With the help of the municipality's maps you can draw where you want to place the solar panels system. Find your address as described above. Tap the pencil icon in the top blue bar. Draw the area and finish with a double click of the mouse. You can now make a print in pdf. This is done by clicking on the 'Print' tab above the blue bar. Click on the 'Designate plot area' button and select the map section, and a pdf file will be created, which can be sent to the municipality by e-mail or printed out.

Feel free to send your application by e-mail to byg-bolig@sonderborg.dk.

You can also read the Danish Safety Technology Authority's information for solar cell owners.

If you want an energy-efficient home, you can find more information at Project Zero's website, where there is a focus on energy savings in the home with:

• Offers of free energy guidance
• ZEROmap - read what others have done
• Good advice and inspiration for energy renovation

You can also read how to save energy at sparenergi.dk

 Read more about grants for energy renovation (Building Pool) 2020-2026 here.