PV project development and land acquisition for photovoltaics and Agri-PV
PV project development: we assess potential, handle land acquisition and lay the foundation for your solar plant, also as agri-PV.
Efficient and cost-effective project development is the key to sustainable and economical energy projects. We assess the potential of your project, take over land acquisition for you and thus create the basis for a successful photovoltaic plant.
Our focus is on agri-photovoltaic solutions, in particular our innovative EWS Sonnenfeld®. If desired, we complement your project with wind power and advanced battery storage systems. With agri-PV, agriculture remains the main use of the land and photovoltaics is the secondary use. The funding conditions in the Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG) are tied to this: among other things, a mandatory agricultural main use with electricity production as secondary use and agricultural use of at least 75 percent of the total area are required. The funding conditions in force at the time are to be checked before applying. The one-off investment grant or the market premium (in the tendering procedure, for new and extended plants above 10 kWp) may be considered as funding instruments; innovative agri-PV plants, for example with vertical modules or a module table lower edge of at least 2 metres, receive a supplement. The German DIN SPEC 91434 provides for a loss of area for agriculture of at most 10 percent for elevated systems; for EAG funding in Austria, a maximum of 7 percent applies under the EAG Investment Grant Ordinance for Electricity (EAG-Investitionszuschüsseverordnung-Strom). Shade-tolerant crops such as cereals, leafy vegetables, pome fruit, berries, root vegetables and hops are better suited than sun-loving ones such as maize. On agricultural land and grassland, the investment grant under the EAG is reduced by a deduction of 25 percent; for agri-PV plants with a mandatory agricultural main use the deduction does not apply under certain conditions.
Land acquisition includes the question of how owners and farmers contribute their land: for farmers, own use, own use on leased land or pure leasing are options. Suitable are areas whose crops fit the shading and which remain accessible to machinery. Land zoning should also be clarified early. Spatial planning is a matter for the provinces, several federal provinces have their own zoning categories or suitable zones for ground-mounted photovoltaics, and for agri-PV rezoning (Umwidmung) is regarded as the most time-consuming step. Lease and decommissioning are key contract points because they affect the economic viability of the project. The site assessment also takes nature conservation, water bodies, roads and grid into account: depending on the federal province and the relevant statute, permit or notification obligations apply, often from certain area sizes, protection and distance zones apply to water bodies and roads, and flood discharge areas or drinking water protection areas must be observed. In project development, the grid connection application runs in parallel with zoning, before planning, construction and commissioning follow. The grid connection possibility should be clarified early: depending on the funding instrument, documents on the grid connection are required for the funding application, and larger plants need a statement from the grid operator.
We involve the host municipality and the population early and continuously, because social acceptance is the prerequisite for every project (more on this under project presentation and public relations). Whether a site is suitable for your project is demonstrated by our feasibility study with layout plan for PV. For battery storage and grid projects there is project development for storage and grid.
