Contribution to the energy transition: Freising could accommodate 10,000 hectares of open-space PV systems

Created: 08/11/2022, 05:00 p.m

By: Andreas Beschorner

Presenting the results: (from left) Walter Demel (HSWT), district administrator Helmut Petz, Stefanie Fritz (HSWT) and Moritz Strey (energy officer of the district).

© Lehmann

A study shows which district areas are suitable for photovoltaics.

Result: The district has enormous potential for solar energy.

Freising

- The name is memorable and sounds fun: "PFiFFiG".

But the cause is serious: It is about nothing less than creating the energy transition and thus securing the future.

A study project by the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT), which was commissioned by the Freising district, investigated where in the district open-space photovoltaic systems would be conceivable and suitable - and where not (we reported).

A conclusion has now been drawn: "A very pleasing result", as Stefanie Fritz from the Chair of Landscape and Environmental Planning put it on Thursday.

Study is not a requirement

According to this report, PV systems can be set up on around 10,000 hectares of the district area without great "space resistance".

Important: The study is not a regulation and does not in any way interfere with the planning sovereignty of the municipalities, emphasized district administrator Helmut Petz, with a view to some municipalities, which have even threatened to sue for fear of not being able to implement their project (see also page 8). .

PFiFFiG: This stands for photovoltaics on open spaces in the district of Freising area potential analysis including design recommendations.

According to Petz, the study is the next important step towards achieving the energy turnaround decided in 2007 in the district by 2035.

Petz already emphasized in his preface that this analysis in no way dictates anything to the communities.

It's just a "decision-making aid" that even relieves the municipalities of work if they think about designating areas for PV systems via land use planning.

Many areas are also out of the question

Stefanie Fritz explained that with regard to the three protected assets "species and communities", "landscape" and "soil/water" a catalog of criteria had been developed and the district area divided into six categories: First, all areas that belonged to Haus are out of the question for open-space PV systems: forests, for example, populated areas, but also bodies of water, the airport and areas where there are already PV systems.

33,768 hectares (42.2 percent of the district area) would therefore be out of the question.

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

A further 13,536 hectares (16.9 percent) fell into the “Very high spatial resistance” category.

FFH areas and other protected areas, biotopes, moorland and flood areas, for example.

There is a “high spatial resistance” where the species and biotic communities have to be valued just as highly as the landscape.

In addition, soils with high productivity should be added, so that 12,495 hectares (15.6 percent) were assigned to this category.

The study assigned 10,277.5 hectares (12.8 percent) to the “mean spatial resistance”.

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And then there are the two categories that are colored green in the “traffic light system”: areas with low spatial resistance (3,640 hectares = 4.5 percent) and areas with low spatial resistance with development potential (6,284.5 hectares = 7.9 percent).

There it is even conceivable that PV systems would have additional positive synergy effects, for example by preventing soil erosion.

According to Fritz, this result of the "rough analysis" is encouraging: After all, the district needs around 400 to 500 hectares of open-space PV systems in order to achieve the energy transition by 2035 - but around 10,000 hectares can be assigned to the "green area".

Municipalities should be supported in the search for areas

And now?

The final report is due to be published in October, followed by an information event for the communities.

Because, and it was important for Fritz, Petz and the district energy officer Moritz Strey to emphasize: This analysis of 24 students is of course not a legally binding paper.

It is intended to support the municipalities in their search for suitable areas and to prepare them for possible spatial resistance.

Neither the individual examination by the Lower Nature Conservation Authority nor the municipal planning sovereignty are affected by this.

It is now recommended that the municipalities take a look at the areas in their area that come into question, discuss them in the municipal council and check whether the areas are actually available.

And then it is also a matter of ensuring that the appropriate network accesses are available or are being built.

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