Johann Anasenzl from Putzbrunn is angry.
In his opinion, the community is blocking the expansion of photovoltaics.
The mayor has denied the allegations.
Putzbrunn
– Johann Anasenzl (70) is angry with the community of Putzbrunn.
More than two years ago, she rejected Scholler's application for a large photovoltaic system.
Anasenzl, who is the managing director at Scholler, asks himself: "How does the municipality want to achieve the energy turnaround if it rejects large photovoltaic systems, builds houses itself or approves them without solar systems?"
Company as a pioneer in the use of solar power
The owner of Scholler Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG in the Solalinden district, Hans J. Scholler (79), provided roof areas for the first community power plant in Putzbrunn at the end of the 1990s.
PV systems are installed on all roofs of the former agricultural Scholler-Hof, battery storage is installed, several heat pumps are connected and three wall boxes for electric cars.
“We generate 350,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity here every year, only use 100,000 kWh, we convert some of it into heat, we store some for the night hours, and we feed the rest into the grid,” explains Anasenzl.
“We are constantly on the lookout for suitable roofs, especially for large agricultural buildings with south-facing roofs.
But in the Putzbrunn region it is very difficult to convince farmers.
I keep hearing: 'We'll do it ourselves'.
But years later nothing has happened,” says Anasenzl.
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The former agricultural Scholler-Hof: All roofs are covered with PV systems, every year 250,000 kWh are fed into the public grid.
Behind the field where Scholler would like to set up a large PV system.
© Bert Brosch
More than two years ago, the Scholler company submitted an application to build a large PV system on a field near the edge of the forest on its northern property in Solalinden.
Anasenzl's cost calculation at the time: 5.5 million euros.
With the annual 8.5 GWh, the system could have generated almost a third of Putzbrunn's electricity.
"Mayor Klostermeier was enthusiastic when I presented the project to him - later he rejected it with the majority of the municipal council," says Anasenzl angrily.
Water protection and too close to the forest: the municipal council rejects the application
Edwin Klostermeier (SPD) confirms that he supports PV systems in principle, "but in 2021 there were several PV applications in the municipal area.
Before the whole place is criss-crossed with photovoltaic modules, we wanted to create an overall concept." This was done with the result that only a few areas were defined as usable: 1.9 hectares north of the motorway and two areas with 3 .8 acres south of the freeway.
In order to meet the community's goal of covering 50 percent of the local electricity needs from renewable energies, 24 hectares would be necessary.
"Should we pave the entire farmland?" asks Klostermeier.
The municipal council rejected Scholler's application because the area is located in a "water protection and recreation area and near the forest".
Doubts about the municipality's energy policy
Anasenzl cannot understand the entire community energy policy.
“They currently only generate seven percent of their electricity from renewable sources, but they want to increase this to 50 percent by 2030.
But how?” The municipality is currently constructing many buildings itself or approving them without PV systems being planned.
The planned retrofitting of old buildings is good, but far too little.
"We are currently not building a single building ourselves, but will receive apartments at a reasonable price after completion," says Klostermeier.
"We are urging every builder to install PV systems, but unfortunately this is not yet legally binding in Bavaria."
Mayor relies more on wind power
Anasenzl also does not understand the mayor's statement that "in the new building on Parkstrasse, all tenants can purchase PV electricity".
This is only possible for a quarter of the tenants, because there is not more PV on it, says Anasenzl.
Klostermeier firmly rejects this.
“I said every tenant could charge their electric car in the underground car park, and we insisted on that.
But we have no influence on how much electricity the PV systems on the roofs actually supply.”
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Sign on the fence: Johann Anasenzl shows everyone who walks past his driveway that he is angry with the community and the rejection of the PV system.
© Bert Brosch
From Anasenzl's point of view, people in Putzbrunn's town hall seem to be very hesitant about the energy transition.
"It is also suffering from consultants who have been ignoring the zeitgeist for five years now.
You don't have to obstinately follow without questioning," says Anasenzl.
"That's wrong, too," counters Klostermeier.
"In Dominik Dirschmid, we have hired a very good energy manager." He took stock of how to save energy, created a blackout concept and a concept for converting all street lights to LEDs, and a concept for more effective PV modules on community buildings.
"For the future, I'm going to rely on wind power anyway, not PV," says Klostermeier.
"The systems take up little space, generate a lot of electricity and bring income to the community."
Anasenzl says that his main job is actually a pensioner and that he has time.
"At the proud age of 70, I would like to be the prince who kisses our municipal council awake from its slumber in the third year of planning."
