Appeal from the Freiburg region to the Federal Minister.
(BZ). In the sunny region of Freiburg there is a lot of potential for innovative developments in the field of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems. However, from the point of view of District Administrator Dorothea Störr-Ritter (Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald), District Administrator Hanno Hurth (Emmendingen) and Freiburg Mayor Martin Horn, there are still too many legal obstacles in the way of expansion. In a letter to the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Construction, the Freiburg Region asks Minister Klara Geywitz to provide even more support for this form of energy generation with the simultaneous use of agriculture and to remove obstacles.
The first model systems already exist in the Friborg region, mainly used in viticulture. The highlight: the vineyards are covered by photovoltaic systems. In this way the grapes can continue to grow and at the same time electricity can be produced. There are also some early simplifications in the approval process. “However, there are still legal constraints, which make the construction of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems considerably more difficult”, reads the letter to the minister.
In particular, there is no privilege comparable to wind and hydroelectricity for open space photovoltaic systems in the outdoor area according to urban planning regulations. Using solar energy is easier for systems connected to a building. Ground-mounted photovoltaic systems are not privileged. “This also applies to the research and development of this technology – also in this sense, only wind and water energy are privileged, but not the energy of solar radiation. In this regard, there is an unjustified imbalance of energy policy at the expense of the use of solar energy “, criticize the representatives of the Freiburg region.
Ground systems can currently only be implemented with land use planning. “Especially in the case of smaller plants, for example to test and research agricultural photovoltaics, such spatial planning often involves a disproportionate effort, also in financial terms. The cities and municipalities responsible for spatial planning are therefore rather reluctant in this respect” , reads the letter.
