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Solar system next to a railway track
Photo: Martin Schroeder / imago images / CHROMORANGE
The federal government wants to promote the expansion of renewable energies with significantly more solar systems on agricultural land.
Economics and Climate Minister Robert Habeck, Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir agreed on this.
Photovoltaic systems on such areas, as well as on agriculturally used moorland, are to be promoted in the future within the framework of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).
According to a key issues paper, the agreement also provides for nature conservation criteria.
The ministries' proposal could make a significant contribution to the expansion of photovoltaics (PV), said Habeck.
The package now planned is about so-called agri-PV systems.
According to the paper, these should be permitted in principle on all arable land and promoted via the Renewable Energy Sources Act.
Agri-PV systems are special solar systems that allow agricultural and energetic use of one and the same area.
"Agri-photovoltaics enable our farmers to contribute to the supply of renewable energies and still be able to continue to cultivate agricultural land," said Minister of Agriculture Özdemir.
As can be seen from the key issues paper by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, additional systems for solar power with an output of up to 200 gigawatts should be possible on agricultural land.
It is currently almost 60 gigawatts.
The use of agricultural land for solar modules is not without controversy because fertile farmland can be lost.
So far, solar power from systems on agricultural land has generally been excluded from EEG funding.
There are exceptions for so-called disadvantaged agricultural areas, such as mountain regions.
Solar systems on open spaces are often found on conversion or industrial areas, polluted areas or former military premises.
In the meantime, such systems have also become interesting for investors on arable land.
Funding from EU agricultural policy funds should continue to be possible if agricultural use is only affected by electricity generation by up to 15 percent.
The cornerstones envisage further measures, such as the expansion of "disadvantaged areas" and the promotion of solar systems on agriculturally used peat soils, if these are waterlogged again at the same time for climate protection.
The expansion of the solar systems should make a contribution to achieving the climate targets.
The traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP has set itself the goal that Germany will get 80 percent of its electricity from renewable energies by 2030.
Currently, the proportion is only about half as high at around 40 percent.
kig/dpa-AFX/Reuters
