DBV Wants To Avoid Loss Of Agricultural Land

German Farmers’ Association: Agricultural Land Use For Ground Mounted PV To Be Limited

DBV Wants To Avoid Loss Of Agricultural Land

As Germany eyes agricultural land to expand PV capacity in the country, local farmers’ association DBV has come out with a position paper to recommend a series of measures to explore ways to do that, and not just by deploying ground mounted PV. (Photo Credit: DBV)

  • DBV has issued a position paper to put forth a series of recommendations for German government’s agrivoltaic plans
  • It wants the government to use agricultural land for ground mounted solar PV facilities under very limited conditions
  • The association has recommended removal of obstacles to self-consumption models, rooftop solar and community energy projects to expand PV

The Council of the German Farmers’ Association (DBV) believes agricultural areas should be used for the deployment of ground-mounted PV systems under ‘very limited conditions’, instead government should encourage self-consumption, rooftop solar and community energy projects to expand this clean energy technology.

Notably, the German coalition recently released a key issues paper about the large potential for PV on agricultural land, and fund this capacity under Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). It would be over and above the 200 GW cumulative solar goal it promised to target by 2030 (see Germany Sees Big Potential In Agri-PV).

In its position paper, DBV has cautioned against the loss of agricultural land for ground mounted PV which can be used for sustainable nutrition. The government should focus on removing obstacles to self-consumption practices.

The association wants the government to bring in regulation to limit the size of ground mounted PV systems at a specific location to not exceed 20 MW, with a minimum distance from the surrounding open spaces. Federal states should be asked to define regional suitability or priority areas for ground mounted PV systems for instance low-yield locations.

Farmers also want the 200 meter strip alongside motorways and railways to be excluded from the EEG remuneration system in the future. They have asked for agrivoltaic auctions to be extended to at least 2030 and expanded to include grasslands while encouraging self-consumption of electricity generated with the addition of storage.

“PV use of rewetted moorland sites is acceptable under certain conditions. The agrostructural interests of the local farmers must be taken into account, and in particular the supply of feed to livestock must not be jeopardized. Moor PV should also be possible in protected areas,” reads the DBV position paper.

The association wants the government to include in the Federal Nature Conservation Act the possibility of reconverting land for agricultural use after the end of PV system’s life. The position paper can be read on DBV’s website in German language.

About The Author

Anu Bhambhani

SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Anu is our solar news whirlwind. At TaiyangNews, she covers everything that is of importance in the world of solar power. In the past 9 years that she has been associated with TaiyangNews, she has covered over thousands of stories, and analysis pieces on markets, technology, financials, and more on a daily basis. She also hosts TaiyangNews Conferences and Webinars. Prior to joining TaiyangNews, Anu reported on sustainability, management, and education for leading print dailies in India. [email protected]

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