Helpful information for municipalities: Freising students are analyzing which locations are suitable for PV systems

Created: 06/26/2022, 07:00

With the help of the study, municipalities will be able to make better decisions about where PV surface systems can be built in the future.

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"PFiFFiG" is the name of a new research project by Freising students.

This should make it easier for municipalities to determine locations for ground-mounted PV systems in the future.

Freising

– "This is pure pioneering work," said District Administrator Helmut Petz in praise of the research project by HSWT students on photovoltaic ground-mounted systems (PV-FFA) called "PFiFFiG", which was presented to the district committee on Thursday.

The result of this study should also be made available to the municipalities of the district, which can then use this open space potential analysis to better decide where in their region a PV-FFA can be created - and where better not.

The data collection by the HSWT and the district took two weeks, and the first results were on the table at the district committee meeting on Thursday.

"It's great what you're giving us with this," said Petz.

Find the perfect location

"PFiFFiG" is an acronym for area potential analysis including design recommendations and is intended to help municipalities to find the right location for PV-FFA - or not to build one there if the so-called spatial resistance map shows particularly high protection values.

Because the PV-FFA play a central role in Upper Bavaria due to global radiation, it is necessary to take a close look at the locations at which such systems can be built in order to protect biodiversity, among other things.

According to the students who took part in the district committee via zoom conference, the calculated area requirement of 800 hectares for renewable energies in the district must be compatible with socially relevant goals - including nature conservation or agricultural concerns.

What's more: Many municipalities have areas for PV-FFA via land use planning, but the municipalities often lack relevant information or, for example, are unsure about landscape protection areas.

Here, too, PFiFFiG should help to track down the perfect location, which is also legally secure.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

According to the analysis, 42 percent of the area in the district is already out of the question because it is completely out of the question for PV-FFA for various reasons, such as landscape protection areas.

30 percent of the area shows a high level of resistance due to protected assets, 13 percent a medium level - for example due to certain nature conservation concerns.

According to the sub-project manager Prof. Markus Reinke from the HSWT, there is definitely room for maneuver on the part of the municipalities.

12.5 percent of the district area is well suited for PV systems

12.5 percent of the district area is very well suited for PV-FFA, which means in plain language: around 10,000 hectares are usable for PV-FFA.

The design instructions for the solar parks are intended as a further factor to ensure that the PV-FFA can be implemented in a way that is compatible with nature and the landscape.

The analysis should be completed and worked out by the end of the year, with which the municipalities can then work.

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However, Petz does not want to "tackle" protected landscape areas, in his opinion there can only be exceptions in a few "pre-polluted" protected areas.

According to the HSWT students, 90 percent of the landscape protection areas in the district have a high level of resistance anyway and would therefore never be considered for a PV-FFA.

It's "one minute to twelve"

For FDP Councilor Tobias Weiskopf, the question arose: "Many areas are agricultural areas - how can we convince people here to set up a PV-FFA there?" Toni Wollschläger (Greens) countered: "Most farmers have long been only leaseholders.” Because there had been too much hesitation when it came to PV systems on roofs, according to Wollschläger it is now “one minute to twelve”.

The pressure is there to set up PV-FFA.

Johann Stegmair (CSU) is not at all a fan of such solar parks, because he himself has to wait up to six months for his roof PV system to be connected to the grid.

"That's where we're missing the most - the citizens want to, but aren't allowed to participate."

Rainer Schneider (FW) urged caution with regard to the removal of landscape protection areas, also because Sebastian Thaler (SPD) had previously proposed that under certain conditions an exception be made for landscape protection areas in order to set up temporary PV-FFA there.

Manuel Mück (CSU) rated "PFiFFiG" positively: This means that every community can now make the right decision.

According to Wollschläger, the analysis map can also help to steer the "uncontrolled growth" of such systems in tracks so that open spaces are dealt with more carefully.

You can find more current news from the district of Freising at Merkur.de/Freising.