Solar parks in the Westerwald: New record for green energy!

Solar parks in the Westerwald: New record for green energy!

The Westerwald is increasingly becoming a hotspot for solar energy. A new solar park near Nomborn near the motorway was recently approved. This approval was facilitated by the attractive location on the highway, demonstrating how important sunny land utilization strategies have become in the region. In recent years, many communities in the Westerwald, including Freirachdorf, Wölferlingen, Siershahn and Görgeshausen, have built new ground-mounted photovoltaic systems (PV systems). As the Rhine newspaper reports, the rise of solar energy has now overtaken wind power, indicating a significant transformation in energy production.

But why have ground-mounted photovoltaic systems become so popular? One reason is the increased need for space, which has, however, decreased significantly since 2006. According to data from the Federal Environment Agency Today only around 1 hectare is needed per megawatt of installed capacity, compared to 4.1 hectares a few years ago. At the end of 2021, around 32,000 hectares of ground-mounted PV systems had already been installed in Germany, with 36% of these areas being converted areas. A groundbreaking aspect of the current Renewable Energy Act (EEG) 2023 is the expansion target of 215 gigawatts for photovoltaics by 2030.

Advantages and challenges of solar parks

The advantages of ground-mounted PV systems are obvious: they generate environmentally friendly electricity and help reduce energy costs. Operators of these systems can also benefit from feed-in tariffs, as regulated in the current EEG. Systems with an output of less than 1,000 kWp receive a remuneration of 7.00 cents per kWh, while a tendering process applies to larger systems and the maximum possible value is up to 7.37 cents per kWh, according to information from Vattenfall.

But not everything is calculation and calculation. The installation of PV systems must always be carried out taking nature and landscape protection into account. Nevertheless, studies show that the negative environmental impacts of PV systems are significantly lower compared to the cultivation of energy crops. PV systems can generate around 800 MWh of electricity per hectare, while growing biogas systems with corn only generates around 20 MWh.

A look into the future

With the development of new technologies such as Agri-PV, where agricultural land can be used to produce electricity at the same time, promising prospects are emerging. Research results recommend installing PV systems primarily on sealed or contaminated areas. This could not only optimize energy production, but also increase biodiversity if these systems are installed on land-sensitive projects.

Given the current developments and the growing importance of solar energy in the Westerwald, one can only hope that the region continues to show a good hand in the energy transition and that the trend towards solar parks continues.