Photovoltaics (PV): Building a ground-mounted PV system – Solar park consultation with Xpert.Solar

According to a recent survey, ground-mounted photovoltaic systems receive the strongest support (62%) for the construction of solar parks as an energy supplier in the neighborhood. Nuclear power plants (5%) and coal-fired power plants (4%) lag far behind.

Solar parks are the most popular electricity generation facilities – Image: Xpert.Digital

Which power generation plants in your neighborhood do you find very good or rather good?

• 62% – Solar park
• 60% – Renewable energy plants in general
• 47% – Wind turbine
• 32% – Biogas plant
• 22% – Power pylons of an overhead power line
• 15% – Gas-fired power plant
• 5% – Nuclear power plant
• 4% – Coal-fired power plant

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A solar park is a ground-mounted solar power plantthat is not installed on a building or facade, but rather on open ground. A solar park is a permanently installed system in which the photovoltaic modules are aligned at an optimal angle to the sun (azimuth) using a substructure.

Photovoltaic ground-mounted systems can now be built without government subsidies. These projects do not claim the EEG surcharge ; they refinance themselves solely through self-consumption of the electricity.

Through economies of scale (production volume) and synergy effects, large solar fields reduce the levelized cost of electricity to such an extent that feed-in tariffs are no longer necessary. The increasingly lower prices for solar modules have been a major contributing factor.

As early as 2013, ground-mounted photovoltaic systems the most sought-after alternative compared to solar systems in commerce, at home or in industry.

Ground-mounted photovoltaic systems were already the most widespread in Europe in 2013 – Image: Xpert.Digital

Before construction begins, ground-mounted solar power plants typically undergo a municipal approval process. To utilize an area, it must be designated as a "special solar zone" in the land-use plan . A development plan is also required , which establishes building rights for the designated area. The municipality is responsible for the planning process . It assesses the project's spatial impact and environmental compatibility , involving all citizens and relevant public bodies in the process. In addition to the plant size, land use, and technology, the developer's landscape plan is a crucial factor in the decision-making process . This plan outlines how the planned ground-mounted solar power plant will be integrated into the landscape and how this will be ecologically enhanced. After consulting with all parties involved, the municipality adopts the development plan. The building permit is then issued.

The German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) provides for the application of remuneration rates only for certain open areas (§ 37, § 48 EEG 2017):

• Sealed surfaces. Sealing occurs when the surface of the ground is sealed. Therefore, electricity from installations located on roads, parking lots, landfills, embankments, storage and parking areas, and similar sites is also compensated.
• Conversion areas are areas previously used for economic, transport, housing, or military purposes. Examples of conversion areas include spoil heaps, former open-cast mining areas, military training grounds, and ammunition depots.
• Areas along highways or railway lines at a distance of up to 110 meters.
• Arable land and grassland, only if they are located in a disadvantaged area according to Directive 86/465/EEC and have been released for PV use by the federal states.

The substructure of solar power plants typically seals only a fraction of the natural area, often less than 0.05% of the actual ground surface. The space between the individual rows, which is needed to counteract shading of individual module rows when the sun is low, contributes to an improvement in ecological quality.