Solar park and pasture area in one - project for Wildsteig
Created: 08/29/2022, 10:00 am
By: Katrin Kleinschmidt
North of the Wildsteiger hamlet of Ilchberg, an agri-photovoltaic system is to be built under which cows can graze.
© Graphics: bayernatlas/kma
Generating electricity and doing agriculture at the same time: That is the goal of agri-photovoltaic ground-mounted systems.
Such could arise in Wildsteig.
Wildsteig - You can see them more and more often in the landscape: large solar modules that generate electricity.
They often arise on former fields or pastures.
On the Ilchberg in Wildsteig, however, an owner is planning a double use of his area: he wants to let his cattle graze, but at the same time also generate electricity there.
This is possible with an agri-photovoltaic system.
The solar modules are installed about 80 centimeters higher than in other parks.
This leaves room for the herd.
"There are good experiences with such systems in Lower Bavaria," says Mayor Josef Taffertshofer in an interview with the local newspaper.
He and the municipal council support the project and therefore unanimously voted to have the necessary development plan drawn up.
In terms of location, the property is "well suited", says Taffertshofer.
Cattle are already grazing there.
"It's not a high-quality agricultural area," says Taffertshofer.
(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.)
Community supports the project
This could change with future use.
Because to compensate for the modules, the farmer has to plant new plants.
"Biodiversity and species protection will win," the town hall chief is convinced.
Humus is also recovering, since agricultural use is less intensive than before.
As a result, the soil can absorb more CO2 and, on top of that, will be “more fertile than before”.
And so the municipality supports the project as well as in Schildschwaig.
However, while 9.3 megawatts of output are planned there over ten hectares, the plant on the Ilchberg will be somewhat smaller: an output of six megawatts is calculated here over around five hectares.
Municipality of Wildsteig takes over PV system at school and sports center
It is hardly surprising that the municipality of Wildsteig is open to projects such as the photovoltaic systems on the Ilchberg and in Schildschwaig: it is always
striving to expand renewable energies
.
With her own buildings, she is getting closer and closer to the goal of being self-sufficient.
Most recently, the offer from Sonnendach GbR to take over its
photovoltaic systems on the roofs of the school and sports center as of January 1, 2024 was
before the municipal council .
The company was founded in 2003 by 22 wild climbers who wanted to produce solar energy in their home country.
The municipality provided the two roofs of their buildings.
The contract at the time stipulated that the GbR could use the systems for as long as the guaranteed feed-in tariff was in effect.
That's 20 years, ending at the end of 2023.
According to the contract, there are then two scenarios: the municipality takes over the PV systems free of charge or the GbR continues to use them until 2028 and then has to dismantle them.
Since the
payment for electricity fed into the grid is no longer so lucrative
and the
municipality can make good use of the energy
, both sides agreed to choose the path of free delivery.
"We are happy," says Mayor Josef Taffertshofer in an interview with the local newspaper.
"We will immediately upgrade the systems with storage systems."
With the takeover, the municipality has “the most important buildings independent of electricity”.
Only at the
sewage treatment plant and in the area of the fountain in Schildschwaig is it still unclear whether PV systems are worthwhile there
.
The municipality of Wildsteig had calculations made, "but we don't trust the simulation".
Therefore, since the summer solstice, a device has been used to determine the solar radiation on the roof of the sewage treatment plant.
After exactly six months it will be set up by the fountain.
Based on the data then available, the local council wants to decide whether to invest in further solar modules.
You can find more current news from the region around Schongau at Merkur.de/Schongau.
