Published on: June 3, 2025 / update from: June 3, 2025 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
4.2 MWP PV open-air area of the municipality of Fröhnd: Germany's steepest solar park in the southern Black Forest-creative image: Xpert.digital
Solar pioneering project: renewable energy despite difficult terrain
Black Forest solar park: masterpiece on 40-degree parts
At the end of 2024, a technical masterpiece of solar energy was created in the municipality of Fröhnd in the southern Black Forest, which sets new standards for the development of difficult terrain forms. With an average slope of 32 degrees and steep slopes up to 40 degrees, this solar park is considered the steepest in Germany and demonstrates impressively that even topographically demanding locations can be successfully used for renewable energy generation. The 4.2 megawatt system with 7,200 solar modules supplies around 1,500 households with climate-friendly electricity and saves around 1,700 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. The project shows an example of how innovative engineering, municipal cooperation and ecological responsibility can be successfully combined in order to advance the energy transition in geographically challenging regions.
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Technical innovation and terrain challenges
Exceptional topographical conditions
The Fröhnd solar park is located on a mountain slope 500 meters above sea level in one of the most topographically demanding locations for photovoltaic systems in Germany. The average slope of 32 degrees and maximum tendencies of up to 40 degrees presented the construction team with completely new technical challenges. This extreme steepness clearly exceeds the usual standards for solar parks and makes the project a pioneering project in the German photovoltaic landscape. The system extends over an area of around five hectares and uses a southeast alignment that guarantees optimal solar radiation despite the difficult terrain conditions.
Innovative assembly systems and construction solutions
The technical implementation required specially adapted assembly systems from Hema Rack, in which three modules from Canadian Solar vertically were mounted on top of each other with modules between 20 and 40 degrees. This configuration enables the natural tendency to follow and at the same time achieve optimal energy yield. The frames had to be brought into the ground almost throughout with ramming machines, whereby the machines had to operate safely even with the extreme slope. However, even this mechanization was not sufficient for 19 particularly problematic foundations, so that the holes had to be dug by hand due to the local conditions and weather conditions.
Challenging construction phase and logistics
Complex construction in extreme conditions
The six -month construction period from April to October 2024 presented everyone involved with exceptional challenges. Construction manager Marc Schipper by Dr. Metje Green Energy Projects reported the special difficulties in transporting the heavy components onto the steep slope. Excavators had to promote up to two tons of stones from the earth, while special forest machines were used to transport the 1.2 tons of heavy module pallets, which secured the caterpillar loaders on the steep terrain. This innovative logistics solution was necessary because conventional construction vehicles could not be used on the extreme terrain.
Weather dependency and seasonal challenges
The weather conditions in the Black Forest also make the construction work even more difficult, especially for the 19 foundations that had to be excavated by hand. The construction period had to be carefully planned to use the optimal weather windows and at the same time carry out the demanding earthworks in changing climatic conditions. The construction team developed adaptive strategies in order to achieve the planned completion by the end of 2024 despite the topographical and meteorological challenges.
Ecological integration and species protection
Improvement of the biotope value
Contrary to possible fears about negative environmental impacts, the solar park will even increase the biotope value of the area. The environmental report predicts positive developments for local biodiversity through the planned extensive grazing of the areas under the solar modules and the development of the outer areas outside the fence as a lean grassland. This nature -friendly use represents an innovative connection between energy generation and landscape maintenance, which could serve as a model for similar projects.
Habitat development and species protection measures
The planning provides for extensive measures to promote domestic fauna, including the creation of retreat and nesting places for reptiles, birds and bats. A total of 3.75 hectares are developed and maintained as a sheep pasture under and next to the modules, which combines a traditional form of land use with modern energy technology. This extensive grazing by sheep not only supports the care of the vegetation among the solar modules, but also contributes to the preservation of the characteristic Black Forest cultural landscape.
Energy production and climate protection effect
Performance data and power supply
With an installed total output of 4.2 megawatts (MWP), the Fröhnd solar park generates sufficient green electricity for around 1,500 households. The expected annual electricity yield is around 4.7 gigawatt hours (GWH), which underlines the efficiency of the system despite the challenging topographical conditions. The 7,200 installed solar modules make optimal use of the good radiation conditions of the southern Black Forest and demonstrate that even difficult locations can be operated economically.
Climate protection and CO₂ avoidance
Compared to the general German electricity mix of 2022, the solar park avoids around 1,700 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. This remarkable climate protection effect contributes significantly to the regional and national climate goals and underlines the importance of decentralized renewable energy generation. The system will continuously produce climate -friendly electricity over a period of 25 to 30 years and make a sustainable contribution to the energy transition.
Regional cooperation and municipal acceptance
Exemplary cooperation of all actors
The project is characterized by an exemplary cooperation between the municipality of Fröhnd, the Schönau (EWS) electricity works, the project developer Altus Renewables and the executing company Dr. Metje Green Energy Projects. Mayor Michael Engesser emphasized at the inauguration in October 2024: “Three years from the idea to the opening - a total feeling of happiness”. This positive balance underlines the importance of transparent communication and participatory planning processes for the success of complex infrastructure projects.
Regional added value and community development
The solar park strengthens the local economy and contributes to regional added value by securing the municipality of Fröhd over the coming decades. The municipal and local council resolutions were unanimously caught, which reflects the broad acceptance of the project among the population. Mayor Engesser emphasized that the solar park is probably not only the steepest in Germany, but definitely the largest in the district and the most beautiful that has ever been built.
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Meaning for the national energy transition
Development of new space potential
The Solarpark Fröhnd impressively refutes the often arguments about the lack of space availability for photovoltaic systems in Germany. Project manager Karlheinz Fichtner by Altus Renewables emphasized: "The Solar Park in Fröhnd is an outstanding example of the fact that there is no lack of open spaces for solar modules in Germany, as the skeptics of renewable energies like to be said". This statement gains special relevance against the background of the ambitious German expansion goals for renewable energies.
Impulses for further steep slope projects
The successful project could serve as a reference and motivator for similar projects in other mountainous regions of Germany. The developed technologies and experiences from construction can be transferred to other topographically demanding locations and thus opening up new space potential for solar energy. This is particularly relevant for regions such as the Black Forest, the Alps or other low mountain ranges, where the difficult terrain conditions have been considered to be an obstacle to solar parks.
Technical management
Professional monitoring and maintenance
The technical management of the system was transferred to the Lüneburg company Airwin, which now extends its expertise from Onshore-Wind and photovoltaic roof systems to open space photovoltaics. The agreed scope of services includes system monitoring via a 24/7 control station, maintenance organization in the event of fault and damage cases as well as technical reporting. This professional support is particularly important for a system in such an exposed location, where weather influences and the difficult accessibility place special requirements for maintenance and surveillance.
Long -term operating perspective
The solar park is designed for an operating period of 20 to 30 years and will generate climate -friendly electricity at least until the middle of the century. This long -term perspective underlines the sustainability of the investment and the permanent contribution to regional energy supply. The system was built and operated without financial support within the framework of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), which also proves its economic load-bearing capacity.
Innovative solar park defies extreme slopes
The Solarpark Fröhnd in the southern Black Forest sets new standards for the development of difficult terrain forms for solar energy and impressively demonstrates that technical innovation, ecological responsibility and municipal cooperation can be successfully combined. With its unique steepness of an average of 32 degrees slope, the project extends the limits of the technically feasible and opens up new perspectives for the use of land in photovoltaics. The positive development of the biotope value and the integration of traditional land use forms such as the sheep grazing show that energy transition and nature conservation can strengthen each other. The project thus provides important impulses for similar projects in other topographically demanding regions and makes a significant contribution to achieving the ambitious expansion goals for renewable energies in Germany. The success of the Solar Park Fröhnd underlines the importance of courageous pioneering spirit and innovative solutions for the design of a sustainable energy future.
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Novel photovoltaic solution for reducing costs and saving time
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