Germany's largest PV plant – again

The title of »Largest PV power plant in Germany« is increasingly developing into a challenge cup that is awarded to someone else every few weeks. Soon there will be a winner that was seemingly predestined by its very name. 

In the Bavarian municipality of Sonnen (German for »suns«), SunTechnics Solartechnik GmbH, a Hamburg-based subsidiary of the Conergy AG Group, has begun to install a 1.75 MW plant that will surpass their 1.6 MW plant in Markstetten (see PI 12/2001, p. 8) and the solar system in Relzow, on the island of Usedom in the Baltic Sea and belonging to Stephan Schröder Management GmbH - at least for a short period. In Relzow, the second expansion stage was grid-connected on April 18, bringing the system to 1.5 MW.

Another Conergy subsidiary, Stuttgart-based Voltwerk AG, will operate the PV system in Sonnen, for which it is offering shares to investors. The plant will be divided into 18 technically and legally distinct systems, each at a size of 100 kW to profit from the German feed-in tariff, which is only eligible for systems up to 100 kW. Larger systems qualify only if they are somehow mounted on buildings.

As large PV plants out in the open are not popular in Germany since there is a vast amount of unused rooftop space, Voltwerk is trying to minimize the environmental impact of the project through a special design. The modules will be installed very high to allow rain to pass almost unhindered to the ground. Moreover, the 5 ha solar park is only covered by 3 percent, offering enough space for a sheep run.

In any case, the cup probably won't stay in Sonnen for long: The Relzow system is eventually slated for 5 MW, which will make it not only Germany's but also Europe's largest system.

Jochen Siemer
© PHOTON International, July 2002