Agri-photovoltaics: Innovation on 97 hectares of farmland in Bad Sülze – combining agriculture and solar power production on one area

Renewable energies in Bad Sülze: A model for rural value creation

In Bad Sülze, a small town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, an innovative agri-photovoltaic (agri-PV) project is being implemented, which could have far-reaching implications for the rural energy transition. On an area of ​​approximately 97 hectares, currently used intensively for agriculture, a combined solar park is planned, merging agricultural production with solar power generation. This project represents a paradigm shift compared to traditional ground-mounted solar parks, where electricity production often displaces agricultural use. The planning process demonstrates how the requirements for large-scale solar projects have changed in recent years and highlights the economic, technical, and spatial planning challenges associated with the dual use of land. Bad Sülze could thus not only serve as a test case for the compatibility of agriculture and renewable energies but also as an example for other rural regions of how sustainable energy production and agricultural value creation can be successfully combined. The coming months will show whether this ambitious concept is actually viable and meets the goal of the energy transition.

Agri-PV in Bad Sülze: How 97 hectares of farmland are becoming a touchstone for the rural energy transition

A solar park alone would not be enough – Bad Sülze must prove that agriculture, electricity production and regional value creation can truly be combined on the same area

In the south of Bad Sülze, a project is taking shape that extends far beyond local energy production. An agri-photovoltaic park is planned for approximately 97 hectares of intensively farmed land. The concept combines agricultural production as the primary use with solar power generation as a supplementary use. This fundamentally distinguishes the project from a conventional ground-mounted solar park, where electricity production largely dominates the area and typically displaces existing agricultural activity.

The planning process clearly demonstrates how drastically the requirements for large-scale solar projects have changed within just a few years. The original planning resolution of June 20, 2023, referred to a conventionally conceived solar park. Subsequently, this became the Bad Sülze Agri-PV Park. This realignment is not merely a conceptual adjustment. It alters the economic, technical, and spatial planning logic of the entire project. Instead of temporarily taking agricultural land out of production, it is now intended to remain permanently usable for two purposes.

The planning area comprises two sub-areas located approximately one kilometer northeast of Böhlendorf and about 1.8 kilometers southeast of Bad Sülze. State roads L 19 and L 23 provide access to the area and simultaneously define its distinct spatial boundaries. The terrain slopes from approximately 25 meters above sea level in the west to about 7.5 meters in the east. This topography influences the visibility, drainage, access, and technical layout of the facility. Therefore, the site should not be considered a generic, interchangeable piece of farmland, but rather a specific area with agricultural, landscape, infrastructural, and energy-related characteristics.

The current planning stage is not yet equivalent to a final investment decision from an economic perspective. The draft establishes the legal planning prerequisites, defines areas, land use types, and protection requirements, and thus reduces project risks. However, key figures such as the total installed capacity, the binding grid connection point, the final investment amount, the financing model, and the final power purchase agreements are not publicly specified. These gaps are crucial for an economic evaluation. A well-founded development plan can enable a viable project, but it does not replace grid compatibility testing, financing, or the subsequent construction and operational decisions.

Poor soil, better location logic

The strongest economic justification for the location lies in its comparatively low agricultural yield. A weighted average soil rating of 21 was determined for the planning area. Soils with 30 to 40 soil points are regularly found in the vicinity of Bad Sülze, while very good arable land achieves values ​​of more than 40. The affected areas consist primarily of sands, loamy sands, and loamy sands. They have a rather low nutrient and water retention capacity and are therefore more susceptible to yield fluctuations.

This does not mean that the land is agriculturally worthless. Arable land remains a scarce resource, and even less productive soils can make stable contributions to feed or food production with appropriate management. However, the economically decisive factor is the comparison with alternative areas. If a municipality wants to enable solar power generation on agricultural land, using less productive sites is more justifiable than redeveloping high-quality soils. Dual use further enhances this advantage, as a large portion of the land is intended to continue to be used for agriculture.

The city's land-use structure supports this argument. The municipal area covers approximately 2,667 hectares. Of this, about 1,825 hectares, or 68.4 percent, are agricultural land. Forests comprise roughly 315 hectares, or 11.8 percent. Transportation infrastructure covers about 67 hectares, and settlement areas about 165 hectares. At the same time, large parts of the municipal area are covered by protected areas or other restrictions. Thus, the theoretically large agricultural area is considerably smaller in practice once nature conservation, landscape, forests, bodies of water, distances to settlements, tourism, and infrastructure development are taken into account.

From an economic perspective, this location choice is convincing if three conditions are met. First, the primary agricultural use must actually continue and not merely be formally asserted. Second, electricity generation must be sufficiently productive to cover the higher costs of agri-PV technology. Third, the costs for grid connection, storage, development, compensatory measures, and operation must not outweigh the locational advantage of the favorable soil. A soil quality rating of 21 is therefore an important factor, but not a complete proof of economic viability.

Space remains scarce, even though it is used twice

The area covered by the project encompasses approximately 96.95 hectares. Of this, roughly 81.49 hectares are designated as a special zone for agri-PV. A further 0.74 hectares are allocated for energy storage and processing. Approximately 10.12 hectares remain designated for agricultural use. This also includes transport infrastructure as well as existing and newly created wooded and ruderal vegetation. This breakdown alone demonstrates that a 97-hectare project cannot be equated with 97 hectares of technically usable module area.

For the agri-PV area, a ground area ratio of 0.5 applies. Theoretically, this allows for the development of up to approximately 40.75 hectares. However, this figure represents the vertical projection of the structures and does not imply that half the land would be sealed. The modules are mounted on driven piles, so only a small portion of the area needs to be physically paved or sealed. For the special agri-PV zone, the permissible sealing is limited to two percent. Paths are to be predominantly partially sealed, consisting of gravel surfaces.

For agricultural usability, a different metric is more important. At least 85 percent of the special agri-PV area must remain usable for agriculture. With approximately 81.49 hectares, this corresponds to at least 69.27 hectares. The specific arrangement of the module rows, according to the plans, suggests an even higher percentage. A minimum distance of 9.5 meters is planned between the posts or module rows. This results in a cultivable width of approximately nine meters. Within these spaces, around 97 percent of the area should be usable for agriculture.

Dual land use does not completely eliminate competition for land; it alters it. Foundations, posts, transformer stations, inverters, storage facilities, access roads, safety distances, fences, and protective plantings still require space. Furthermore, turning maneuvers, shadows cast, and technical maintenance areas can restrict practical management more significantly than a simple land allocation ratio would suggest. The economic value of dual land use therefore depends not only on how many square meters formally remain agricultural, but also on how efficiently these areas can actually be cultivated.

Movable modules instead of rigid surface layout

The technical concept involves bifacial photovoltaic modules mounted on a single-axis tracking system. The module axes run in a southwest-northeast direction, and the modules automatically adjust to the sun's position. Bifacial modules can utilize light on both their front and back sides. A tracking system increases energy yield throughout the day and can distribute generation more broadly than a fixed south-facing orientation. This feature is gaining importance because very high simultaneous solar production around midday increasingly leads to low or even negative electricity prices on the exchange.

The planned modules are expected to achieve a nominal output of approximately 620 watts peak per unit. The maximum clear height of the module tables in a horizontal position is around 2.3 meters. The structure is mounted on single-row, lightweight metal driven piles. This system reduces the need for concrete foundations, facilitates future dismantling, and limits permanent soil sealing. At the same time, it places higher demands on structural engineering, drive technology, maintenance, and operation than simple, rigid ground-mounted systems.

The large row spacing ensures accessibility for vehicles but reduces the installed capacity per hectare. This is precisely the central conflict of objectives in agri-PV. The closer and denser the modules are, the higher the electricity yield per unit area generally is, but the more difficult agricultural use becomes. The more space is allocated to machinery, plants, and cultivation, the lower the electrical power density often is. Therefore, an economically viable concept should not aim for maximum electricity production or maximum agricultural production, but rather the highest combined benefit of both systems.

The final total output of the plant has not yet been published. This prevents a reliable calculation of annual yield, investment requirements, grid load, lease income, and municipal cash flows. Extrapolating solely from the total area would be unreliable, as tracker geometry, number of modules, spacing, buffer zones, topography, and ancillary technical areas significantly influence the value. Therefore, the installed capacity should be made transparent to investors, the municipality, and the public no later than before the final implementation decision.

Agriculture as a main business or as a backdrop

The success of the project hinges on whether agriculture is taken seriously from an economic perspective during ongoing operations. The primary focus is on cultivating forage grass, which can serve as a feed base for livestock farms in the community or region. Forage grass is generally well-suited to sites with poorer soil and a field layout that allows for regular mechanical cultivation between the rows. It is less sensitive to fluctuating light conditions than many high-value specialty crops and can contribute to regional forage supply.

The relevant agri-PV requirements limit the loss of agriculturally usable land for ground-mounted systems to a maximum of 15 percent. Furthermore, the agricultural yield should generally reach at least 66 percent of a suitable reference yield. This threshold is not a performance guarantee, but a minimum requirement intended to prevent a solar park from being labeled as agri-PV with only a token amount of residual agricultural activity. For Bad Sülze, this necessitates a long-term agricultural land-use concept with verifiable yield, management, and land-use data.

Economically, this combination can be attractive for farms because it supplements volatile agricultural yields with more predictable income. Poor soils, droughts, fluctuating feed prices, and rising operating costs increase the risk of traditional land use. Lease payments or profit-sharing models can stabilize the income base. At the same time, the contractual arrangement must not result in the farmer becoming merely a formal implementer of the energy project, bearing the actual operating costs without receiving a fair share of the profits.

The modules can reduce evaporation and protect the soil from extreme solar radiation. Under certain climatic conditions, this can lead to more stable or even higher yields. However, this effect depends on the crop, weather, and system. Yield reductions have also been observed in German pilot plants. Excessive shading, unfavorable water distribution, or inadequate tramline planning can negatively impact crop production. Therefore, a general increase in yield cannot be assumed for forage grass in Bad Sülze. Measurements over several years and comparison with suitable reference plots are crucial.

Greater space efficiency, but not automatically greater profitability

Agri-PV is often justified by its higher land-use efficiency. This means that the combined benefit of agricultural yield and electricity generation can be greater than with separate use of the same area. Studies show increases in land-use efficiency of approximately 60 to 86 percent, depending on the system, crop, and location. This advantage is real, but should not be confused with a corresponding increase in financial return.

A conventional ground-mounted photovoltaic system can accommodate significantly more photovoltaic capacity per hectare because it doesn't require wide access lanes for agricultural machinery. Model calculations for 20-hectare systems assume approximately 1,100 kilowatts peak per hectare and around 1.1 million kilowatt-hours of annual yield per hectare for classic ground-mounted designs. In contrast, vertical agri-PV systems are projected to achieve approximately 400 kilowatts peak and 400,000 kilowatt-hours. Elevated or tracking systems can approach the performance figures of conventional systems more closely, but are technically more complex.

Specific investment costs for agri-PV systems are also often higher. Comparative calculations indicate costs of around €520 per kilowatt peak for a classic ground-mounted system, approximately €680 for vertical systems, and around €600 for certain elevated solutions. These figures are not a cost estimate for Bad Sülze, but rather illustrate the magnitude of the system-related difference. Depending on the design, the specific investment required for an agri-PV system can be between 15 percent and well over 100 percent higher than for a standard solar park.

Recent analyses conclude that, depending on the system, agrivoltaic electricity can cost between a few percent and significantly more than double the cost of conventional ground-mounted photovoltaics. For competitive systems, the premium is sometimes less than one cent per kilowatt-hour. However, when calculated per hectare, the additional costs can still amount to more than €8,000 per hectare per year. Significantly higher figures are possible for particularly expensive systems. Agricultural yield alone generally does not compensate for this difference.

The project size is a major advantage for Bad Sülze. Economies of scale are particularly pronounced in photovoltaics, especially on the first ten hectares. With a total area of ​​approximately 97 hectares, planning, grid technology, construction organization, monitoring, and operation can be distributed across a single large plant. At the same time, this size increases the absolute investment volume and thus the consequences of delays, interest rate changes, grid congestion, or planning errors. Size reduces unit costs but also increases the overall risk.

The electricity market no longer rewards every kilowatt-hour equally

At the end of 2025, Germany had approximately 117 gigawatts of installed photovoltaic capacity. Around 16.4 gigawatts were added in 2025 alone. To reach the legally mandated target of 215 gigawatts by 2030, an average annual increase of nearly 20 gigawatts would be necessary in the remaining years. Roughly half of the future expansion is planned for open land. Projects like Bad Sülze are therefore not on the periphery of the energy transition, but rather in a key expansion corridor.

However, the rapid expansion of solar power is changing the revenue model. Solar power is predominantly produced simultaneously. On sunny days, there is a high supply at midday, while demand does not rise to the same extent. This reduces the market value of solar power. In 2025, the average annual market value of solar power was around 4.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. At the same time, 573 hours with negative electricity prices were recorded in Germany. This corresponded to about 6.5 percent of all hours in the year, but disproportionately affected periods of high solar production.

For large-scale power plants, simply producing as many kilowatt-hours as possible is no longer sufficient. The crucial factor is when the electricity is generated, stored, and marketed. A tracking system can shift generation more effectively into the morning and evening hours. A storage system can absorb electricity during cheaper midday hours and release it at higher-priced times. A long-term power purchase agreement can stabilize revenues, while pure spot market trading is more susceptible to price fluctuations.

The project is intended to offer its electricity on the open market. This means the operator bears price, profile, and marketing risks. High annual production does not guarantee a high return if a large portion of generation occurs during hours with very low prices. The project's economic viability will therefore depend significantly on the marketing strategy. In addition to technical efficiency, forecast accuracy, market access, storage management, balancing group management, and contractual price hedging will be key success factors.

The storage unit is not an accessory, but part of the business model

In the southern part of the planning area, a battery storage system with a capacity of approximately 62 megawatt-hours is planned. Individual battery units will each have a capacity of four megawatts. The exact total capacity of the storage system has not yet been finalized. Nevertheless, the 62-megawatt-hour capacity is of significant economic importance. It demonstrates that the project is conceived not only as a power generation facility, but also as a flexible energy complex.

A storage system can combine several functions. It can buffer solar power, limit peak feed-in at the grid connection point, avoid negative price hours, shift electricity to higher-priced evening hours, and generate additional revenue on short-term or balancing energy markets. These revenue streams can be combined, but they cannot simply be added together. Each use requires capacity, power, and charging cycles. A battery reserved for grid connection optimization is not fully available for energy trading.

Profitability depends on price differences between charging and discharging times, grid fees, regulatory requirements, technical availability, and aging. Frequent cycles increase revenue but accelerate degradation. At the same time, arbitrage revenues tend to decrease when a large number of storage systems utilize the same price signals. Therefore, storage should not be viewed as a guarantee of high additional profits, but rather as a flexible instrument whose value derives from a professional operating strategy.

This combination can be particularly valuable for grid connection. If the photovoltaic system doesn't need to feed its full maximum output into the grid simultaneously, a smaller grid connection point might be better utilized. This can reduce connection costs or enable a project at a location where the full module output couldn't be transported at all times. Whether this advantage will be realized in Bad Sülze depends on the specific grid connection concept. Without information on connection capacity, grid level, and feed-in point, this part of the economic analysis remains unclear.

New: Patent from the USA – Install solar parks up to 30% cheaper and 40% faster and easier – with explanatory videos! - Image: Xpert.Digital

The core of this technological advancement is the deliberate departure from conventional clamp mounting, which has been the standard for decades. The new, more time- and cost-effective mounting system addresses this with a fundamentally different, more intelligent concept. Instead of clamping the modules at specific points, they are inserted into a continuous, specially shaped support rail and held securely in place. This design ensures that all forces – whether static loads from snow or dynamic loads from wind – are distributed evenly across the entire length of the module frame.

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• Click instead of screw: This ingenious system builds solar parks 40% faster and revolutionizes the energy transition

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is transforming from a producer location to a system location

In 2025, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had 78,674 renewable energy power generation plants with a total capacity of 11,179 megawatts. Of these, 75,885 plants, or approximately 4,990 megawatts, were photovoltaic systems. The state's solar power capacity has thus reached a level where the construction of new plants alone is no longer the only factor. Grids, storage, controllable loads, marketing, and regional utilization are becoming increasingly important.

For a sparsely populated, geographically large state, this creates a structural tension. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania can generate significantly more renewable electricity than it consumes regionally. This creates export potential but also increases the need for high-performance transmission and distribution networks. New power plants can generate added value regionally, while a large portion of the electricity is used elsewhere. Therefore, the specific benefits for local communities, residents, and businesses are becoming increasingly important from a political perspective.

Bad Sülze can benefit from the project on several levels. During the construction phase, contracts will be generated for earthworks, roads, cable laying, surveying, safety technology, landscaping, and logistics. Operationally, technical maintenance, groundskeeping, agricultural management, monitoring, and recurring inspections will be required. In addition, there will be lease or usage fees, potential municipal payments, and indirect benefits for regional service providers.

The local employment effect should not be overestimated, however. Large photovoltaic plants are capital-intensive, but require relatively few personnel during operation. Many components are sourced internationally, and specialized installation companies operate across regions. Therefore, the most sustainable regional value creation does not automatically arise from construction, but rather from the contractual involvement of local companies, long-term agricultural use, municipal revenues, and, where applicable, regional electricity supply models.

Value creation requires robust contracts

For the farm, the project can enable income diversification. Lease or equity income is less dependent on weather than crop yields and can facilitate investments in machinery, livestock, or farm development. Particularly on soils with a soil rating of 21, a predictable long-term energy yield can significantly increase the economic value of the land. At the same time, opportunity costs rise: Land contractually tied to an energy project for decades is only available to a limited extent for other land uses.

The distribution of added value depends on the contract structure. Fixed lease payments provide security for the owner, while the operator bears the market price risk. Revenue-based models allow the landowner to participate more in good years but also transfer some of the volatility. Hybrid models combining minimum lease payments and revenue sharing can better balance interests. Additionally, the costs of agricultural management, restrictions due to maintenance work, potential yield losses, and liability issues must be clearly defined.

The municipality also needs more than non-binding expectations. Legally sound agreements regarding municipal participation, allocation of trade tax revenue, road maintenance, dismantling, compensatory measures, and potential follow-up costs are crucial. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has expanded the participation of municipalities and residents in large energy projects. For ground-mounted photovoltaic systems of one megawatt or more, payments of €1,000 per full megawatt of installed capacity are earmarked for both the municipality and its residents. However, different legal classifications may apply to specific solar installations, which is why the specific application to the Bad Sülz agri-PV concept must be thoroughly examined from a legal perspective.

The lack of information on the total installed capacity makes it difficult to quantify potential local cash flows. The same applies to business tax. It depends not only on electricity production, but also on financing costs, depreciation, operating expenses, company structure, and profit development. Municipal expectations should therefore be calculated conservatively and not based on theoretical peak yields.

Grid connection as a crucial bottleneck

For large solar projects, grid connection is often the most critical factor in terms of time, cost, and risk. While zoning plans can permit land use, they cannot create free grid capacity. In Bad Sülze, the plan is to feed the generated electricity into the public grid via underground cables. However, the specific connection point and the required cable length have not been published.

The distance to a suitable substation, the voltage level, necessary grid reinforcements, and the reservable connection capacity can significantly affect economic viability. Long cable routes not only incur material and civil engineering costs but also require rights of way, crossings, permits, and coordination with landowners. If grid expansion is delayed, a technically complete system may only be able to feed in limited power temporarily. Capital costs are then incurred while revenues are lacking.

The planned storage facility can mitigate the problem, but not solve it completely. A battery shifts energy within hours, not between seasons. During prolonged sunny periods, even a large storage facility is quickly filled. Therefore, for the overall economic assessment, the decisive factor remains whether the region develops sufficient grid capacity and flexible demand. In the long term, industrial consumers, electrolysis, district heating networks, data centers, or other energy-intensive uses are conceivable. Such consumers are not yet included in the published concept for Bad Sülze.

Effective project communication should therefore not treat grid connection as a minor technical issue. Without a guaranteed connection, a realistic construction timeline, and transparent costs, any return on investment calculation remains provisional. Decisions regarding the number of modules, storage capacity, and marketing should be aligned with the available grid connection point, and not the other way around.

Logistics in rural areas

The construction phase of an almost 97-hectare energy project is generating significant temporary logistics traffic. Modules, substructures, piles, cables, transformers, inverters, battery containers, fencing elements, and construction site equipment must be delivered, temporarily stored, and assembled. The L 19 and L 23 roads offer generally good regional accessibility. Existing farm access roads will continue to be used, while central delivery traffic will be handled via a rear access road from a farm track running to the south.

Early logistics planning is economically essential because rural roads, bridges, curve radii, and shoulders are not automatically designed for heavy construction traffic. Battery containers, transformers, and heavy construction equipment, in particular, may require special transport or reinforced access routes. Poor road conditions increase transport times, damage, and repair costs. At the same time, it is crucial to prevent excessive disruption to residents, agriculture, and emergency access routes.

Internal access will be provided via partially paved roads. Approximately 13,000 square meters are designated for this purpose. These roads will serve construction, maintenance, fire department access, and agricultural use. Their geometry will significantly influence how efficiently machinery can maneuver and perform operations. Good planning will later reduce fuel consumption, soil compaction, and labor time. Thus, road planning becomes a link between energy technology and agriculture.

After the construction phase, traffic volume will decrease significantly. However, maintenance vehicles, agricultural machinery, landscaping, and occasional component replacements will remain relevant. This will not create a logistics center in the traditional sense for the region, but rather a new infrastructure location with recurring transport and service needs. Local businesses can benefit if contracts are not entirely tied to supra-regional general contractors.

Nature conservation as a cost factor and location value

The planning area consists predominantly of intensively farmed arable land. Forests and natural surface waters are not located within the area of ​​application. The Recknitz and Trebel Valley European protected area with its tributaries lies approximately 90 meters to the northwest, and the Recknitz and Trebel Valley European bird protection area with its side valleys and surrounding fields is about 130 meters to the east. This proximity increases the requirements for species protection, construction processes, and long-term monitoring.

The plans include buffer zones to trees and forests, at least 30 meters to forest edges, wildlife corridors along hedgerows, and enclosures permeable to small animals. New screening plantings will visually shield the area along the state roads. Existing wooded structures will be preserved. A significant compensation requirement has been identified for mitigating and managing the environmental impact, which can only be partially met by new hedgerows within the area. The remaining amount will be offset through a certified ecological compensation account.

These measures incur direct costs, but simultaneously create ecological and social value. New hedges can connect habitats, reduce erosion, and structure the landscape. More extensive farming practices, reduced fertilization, and flowering areas can increase biodiversity compared to intensive agriculture. However, such improvements do not occur automatically. An agri-PV system is not ecologically valuable simply because the modules are located on agricultural land.

Faunal studies have not revealed any insurmountable conflicts for bats, reptiles, and amphibians. Avoidance and mitigation measures are necessary for breeding birds. Crucially, construction schedules, maintenance, and agricultural use must be permanently aligned with these requirements. If ecological regulations are only observed during the permitting process and subsequently poorly enforced, the project will lose a significant portion of its legitimacy.

Landscape between acceptance and isolation

Large solar power plants are changing the perception of rural areas. While the rows of modules don't reach the height of wind turbines, they do occupy a large, contiguous area. In Bad Sülze, the visibility of the solar panels will be significantly reduced through the topography, existing trees, and additional plantings. Linear screening structures are planned along the L 19 and L 23 roads. The modular height of a maximum of approximately 2.3 meters facilitates integration into the landscape.

The shielding serves an economic purpose. Visible large-scale facilities can trigger acceptance problems, political conflicts, and delays. Every additional month of planning increases financing costs and ties up personnel. Landscape protection is therefore not just an environmental issue, but also part of risk management. A project that is perceived by the public as having been carefully involved has greater social sustainability.

At the same time, visual barriers must not create a closed-off, technical enclave. Dense fences and vegetation can impede animal movement and affect the feeling of safety along paths. The planned wildlife corridors and fences that allow small animals to pass through are therefore functionally important. Fire safety and accessibility must also remain compatible with the integration into the landscape.

The site lies within a designated tourism area, but has so far been intensively used for agriculture and has no clearly defined primary tourist function. This reduces the conflict of use, but does not eliminate it entirely. As a spa town, Bad Sülze depends on an attractive environment. The quality of the design implementation will therefore determine whether the park is perceived as an incongruous element or as a contemporary part of a productive cultural landscape.

Soil, water, and deconstruction determine the long-term balance

Foundations using driven piles limit permanent sealing and, in principle, allow for complete dismantling. This reversibility is a significant advantage over massive construction projects. It preserves the land's option value: after energy production ceases, it can be used extensively for agriculture again. This is contingent upon the actual removal of foundations, cables, paths, storage facilities, and other technical installations, as well as the remediation of any soil compaction.

An earlier planning approach envisioned limiting solar energy use to a maximum of 30 years, followed by a return to agricultural use. The current agri-PV concept, however, incorporates agricultural use even during operation. Nevertheless, a legally binding decommissioning guarantee remains necessary. Material, labor, and disposal costs could be significantly higher in several decades than they are today. A guarantee or a dedicated decommissioning fund protects the municipality and the landowner from the risk that a future operating company will no longer be financially viable.

For the soil, it's not just permanent sealing that's relevant. Construction machinery can cause compaction, mix topsoil, and alter water runoff. Therefore, soil science-based construction supervision is required. These requirements apply not only to construction but also to maintenance, cable work, and dismantling. On sandy soils with low water retention, improved shading can have a positive effect, while concentrated rainwater runoff at module edges can trigger local erosion.

Part of the southern planning area lies within a water protection zone. Refueling, fuel storage, and the handling of water-polluting substances must be appropriately secured. Battery storage, transformers, and construction site operations increase the demands on preventative and emergency planning. While the probability of damage may be low, its consequences for soil and groundwater would be significant. Therefore, a prevention strategy that goes beyond minimum requirements is economically sound.

Fire protection becomes a systemic issue in storage facilities

Photovoltaic modules themselves pose a manageable fire risk under normal operating conditions. However, battery storage systems change this safety profile. Thermal runaway of individual cells can lead to high temperatures, toxic gases, and prolonged fires. The planned storage capacity of approximately 62 megawatt-hours therefore necessitates a professional safety concept that includes spacing, detection, shutdown, extinguishing or cooling strategies, and clearly defined operational plans.

The plan includes fire suppression water cushions and a secure fire department access route. As a guideline, a minimum of 96 cubic meters of fire suppression water is required for two hours at a maximum distance of 300 meters; for smaller installation areas, the requirement may be lower. Crucially, it is not only the quantity of water but also its practical accessibility in all weather conditions. Access routes, turning areas, key depots, and shut-off points must be tested with the local fire department.

Safety requirements incur investment and operating costs, but reduce risks of failure, liability, and reputational damage. A single serious incident could wipe out the economic benefits of many years of trouble-free operation. Insurers and lenders will therefore insist on robust evidence. In a combined solar and storage project, fire protection is not a secondary permitting requirement, but rather an integral part of the financing.

What the bill still leaves open

Despite the high level of detail in the land-use and environmental planning, several key economic data points are missing. The installed photovoltaic capacity, the expected annual yield, the total investment, the financing costs, the lease structure, the grid connection point, the grid connection costs, the total capacity of the battery storage system, and the marketing model are not published. Without these figures, neither a return on equity nor a realistic levelized cost of electricity can be calculated.

The agricultural side also requires additional key performance indicators. Reference yields, management costs, expected yields under the modules, machine widths, labor requirements, feed buyers, and contractual quality requirements would be necessary. Arable grass is a plausible use, but its profitability depends on regional livestock farming, transport distances, and feed prices. If regional demand declines, the formally permissible cultivation can become less economically attractive.

Information regarding the battery's cycle life, operating strategy, efficiency, degradation, and replacement investments is lacking. A capacity of 62 megawatt-hours sounds impressive, but on its own says little about revenue potential and grid impact. Crucial factors are the power-to-capacity ratio and whether the storage system exclusively stores solar power or can also trade electricity from the grid.

These open questions are not evidence against the project. Rather, they mark the transition from spatial planning to investment decision-making. The planning shows where and under what conditions construction is permitted. The economic feasibility study must then demonstrate whether the technically feasible concept is financially viable and sustainable in the long term under real market conditions.

The biggest economic risks

The first risk is grid connection. Additional lines, a new substation, or long waiting times can significantly increase costs. The second risk is the price of solar power. As photovoltaic capacity increases, the market value of generation during sunny hours decreases unless storage and flexible demand grow at a similar rate. The third risk is construction and financing costs. Trackers, storage, cables, and safety technology make the project more vulnerable to interest rates, raw material prices, and delivery delays.

A fourth risk lies in agricultural implementation. If yields fail to reach the required thresholds or if management becomes technically impractical, the agri-PV status comes under pressure. A fifth risk concerns regulation and subsidies. State aid decisions, tendering rules, market premiums, participation obligations, and storage regulations can alter revenues and costs. Long-term projects must therefore remain viable even under less favorable regulations.

Added to this is the risk of public acceptance. The area is large, and the location is close to roads, residential areas, shelters, and a spa town. Even a legally permissible project can remain politically vulnerable if the benefits and burdens appear unequally distributed. Transparency regarding yield, local payments, agricultural use, and environmental impact is therefore economically relevant.

Finally, there is an operational risk due to technical complexity. Movable modules have drives, sensors, and controls that can fail. Battery storage systems age and require software, cooling, and safety monitoring. The benefits of flexibility must outweigh the additional maintenance, replacement, and downtime costs. A conservative financial model should account for these risks with realistic reserves.

Why the project can still be economically viable

Despite these risks, Bad Sülze possesses several structural advantages. The area is large enough for economies of scale, relatively low in agricultural yield, and accessible via two state highways. Protected areas will not be directly built upon, and existing trees can be used for visual screening and ecological integration. The modular technology is geared towards genuine farming practices, and the planned storage facility improves marketing and grid integration options.

Added to this is the political and energy-related need. Germany must significantly increase its photovoltaic capacity by 2030. Rooftop installations alone will not suffice. Ground-mounted projects remain necessary, while at the same time, public resistance is growing against the displacement of agriculture. Agri-PV offers a solution, provided that the dual use of land is not merely theoretical.

The site can also serve as a learning project for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The state has large agricultural areas, high renewable energy production, and comparatively low regional electricity demand. The combination of agriculture, tracking photovoltaics, and large-scale storage addresses precisely this structure. Insights gained regarding yield, grid behavior, biodiversity, logistics, and public acceptance can be transferred to other rural regions.

The project's economic viability stems not from its size, but from the quality of its integration. Solar production, storage, agriculture, and the grid must not be optimized as separate components. The greatest benefits arise when module movement, sowing, harvesting, storage operation, and electricity marketing are planned together. Only then will a single area with two uses become a truly integrated production system.

The measure of success

The success of an agri-PV park should not be measured solely by installed megawatts or generated kilowatt-hours. A meaningful metric must combine at least five aspects: solar yield, agricultural yield, local value creation, ecological development, and grid impact. If only electricity volumes are published, it remains unclear whether the dual use is effective. If only agricultural land allocations are mentioned, energy efficiency cannot be assessed.

For agriculture, the area cultivated annually, crop types, reference yield, actual yield, and management costs should be documented. For the energy sector, installed capacity, annual production, curtailment, storage losses, charging cycles, and average selling price are relevant. For the municipality, payments, tax revenue, local contracts, and follow-up costs are important. Ecologically, species development, soil quality, water balance, and the condition of compensatory areas are crucial.

Such data transparency would not weaken the project, but rather enhance its modeling value. It could demonstrate where agri-PV makes economic sense and where conventional ground-mounted systems, rooftop installations, or other uses are superior. Precisely because agri-PV can be more expensive, the additional benefits must be measurable. Otherwise, there is a risk that a technologically sophisticated system will be chosen primarily because it is easier to justify under planning law.

Bad Sülze thus has the opportunity to create more than just another solar park. The park can serve as proof that rural areas are not merely suppliers of land for the energy transition, but complex production sites for energy, agriculture, and system services. For this to happen, local economic participation must be taken just as seriously as the technical performance.

Between lighthouse and litmus test

The planned agri-PV park is neither automatically an ecological showcase project nor simply a disguised ground-mounted photovoltaic system. Its quality will be determined by its implementation. The planning data shows a comprehensible site selection, a module geometry geared towards agricultural use, a high remaining agricultural share, and an economically viable storage system. At the same time, key information regarding output, grid connection, investment, and marketing is still missing.

From an economic perspective, the basic idea is plausible: Two forms of production are combined on a less productive site, agricultural risks are diversified, and solar power is supplemented with storage flexibility. The price for this is higher investment, lower electrical power density, and more complex operation. These additional costs are justified if agricultural benefits, local value creation, grid relief, and ecological improvements are actually achieved.

The crucial question, therefore, is not whether solar panels should be allowed on 97 hectares. It is whether Bad Sülze can derive greater economic benefit from 97 hectares than from purely agricultural use or a conventional solar park. The prerequisites are in place, but proof will only come during operation. This is precisely the provocative truth of this project: agri-PV must deliver more than just good intentions; otherwise, dual use will remain an expensive label.

From industrial rooftop PV to solar parks and larger solar parking lots

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