The German State of Brandenburg has launched what it calls is a solar expansion offensive to speed up the rate of PV deployment as it targets to grow its installed capacity from 6 GW now to 18 GW by 2030. Special emphasis under the strategy is on distributed generation projects.
"The focus is particularly on roof systems, parking lot PV and other special solar systems such as agricultural or floating PV. Above all, municipalities should be able to participate more in the energy transition," said Brandenburg's Energy Minister Jörg Steinbach while announcing the solar expansion offensive.
Agrivoltaics and floating solar applications are aimed to be supported by RENplus successor funding. Measures will also be put in place to train, retain and recruit skilled workers in solar energy installations, particularly in the field of electrical engineering, plumbing, heating and air conditioning along with IT.
Additionally, the state government is planning to introduce a Photovoltaic Open-Space System Tax Law (Solar Euro) as a special tax to ensure 'legally secured financial participation' for municipalities in solar parks.
The Solar Euro is proposed to be on the same line as the Wind Euro or the Wind Turbine Tax Law under which wind operators pay €10,000/wind turbine/year as a special levy to eligible communities for the duration of operation of respective projects. It only excludes projects that were awarded in 2017, 2018 and 2019 tenders.
According to an August 2023 study commissioned by the ministry, the state has a potential to install 29 GW rooftop PV capacity and another 33 GW on agricultural land with very low land values and up to 270 GW for agricultural PV and carparks. Additionally, it can also install 67 GW on EEG base areas as ground mounted solar.
The Energy Minister stated back then, "In order to tap even a fraction of this potential, local authorities need to undertake land-use planning activities."
Steinbach said the launch of these measures is aimed to be a starting signal for more such steps to follow for Brandenburg to expand photovoltaics. The state announced its 18 GW solar target for 2030, and to scale up to 33 GW by 2040 under its Energy Strategy 2040 in August 2022 (see Brandenburg Targets 18 GW PV Capacity By 2030).
Floating solar and agrivoltaics, along with other advanced solar module applications such as BIPV, will be discussed at length during TaiyangNews Virtual Conference on Advanced Module Applications on September 26, 2023. Registrations to the event are free and can be done here.
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