3.2 MWp solar park Dorfen near Kaidach with battery storage technology: 4000 solar modules for the regional energy transition – Creative image: Xpert.Digital
Photovoltaic project in Dorfen: Starting signal for a greener future
Future technology in use: Dorfen relies on solar and storage
An innovative photovoltaic project is currently under construction in Dorfen, significantly advancing the energy transition in the region. The “Dorfen Solar Park” near Kaidach features state-of-the-art battery storage technology and a citizen participation model. Construction began in spring 2025, and commissioning is planned for mid-year.
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Technical specifications and performance
The Dorfen solar park is being built on a nearly 3.6-hectare plot of land in the Kaidach district, directly adjacent to the A94 motorway. The plant comprises approximately 4,000 solar modules with a total peak output of 3.2 megawatts (MWp). Once operational, the plant is expected to generate approximately 3.2 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, which corresponds to the annual consumption of around 1,280 households (assuming an economical consumption of 2,500 kilowatt-hours per year). This will enable the solar park to cover about ten percent of the total electricity demand of the town of Dorfen.
Particularly noteworthy is the fact that Dorfen already produces more solar power than it consumes within its city limits. Sebastian Heiß, Commercial Director of the Dorfen municipal utility company, therefore refers to the city as a "feed-in network." The new solar park will further improve this positive energy balance.
Innovative battery storage technology
A special feature of the project is the integration of a high-performance battery storage system with a capacity of approximately 2,500 kWh (2.5 megawatt hours). This technology makes it possible to store excess electricity during sunny hours and feed it into the grid at times without sufficient sunlight.
The economic advantage of this storage solution is obvious: According to Leonhard Kriegel of Fenecon, the company that builds the battery storage system, significant price differences on the electricity market can be exploited. On a typical day, a kilowatt-hour of solar power cost only 0.04 cents on the electricity exchange at midday, while the price rose to 18 cents in the evening around 6 p.m. – 450 times the midday price. This intelligent storage system not only optimizes the use of available energy, but also balances peak loads and stabilizes the electricity grid.
Partnership project and operating model
The Dorfen solar park is a joint project of several partners. The operating company, "Solarpark Dorfen," consists of four business partners: the Dorfen municipal utility company, Energie Südbayern GmbH (ESB), Solea Development GmbH, and the Spranger family as landowners. The management is headed by Sebastian Heiß of the Dorfen municipal utility company and Josef Lipp of ESB.
Citizen participation through subordinated loans
Another innovative component of the project is the opportunity for citizen financial participation. Residents of Dorfen and the surrounding area can participate in the solar park through a so-called subordinated loan. The subscription period for this participation began on March 24, 2025, and there is already considerable interest in this offer.
This form of participation was chosen because establishing a separate cooperative or other forms of participation involving company shares were considered too complex. Instead, a modern crowdfunding model is being used, in which the municipal utility company obtains the loan not from a bank, but from interested private individuals. The exact details, such as the interest rate and maximum investment amount, are currently being finalized. Comparable projects, such as the Schwaigern solar park in Baden-Württemberg, offer interest rates of 4.75 percent per year with terms of seven years and investment amounts between 500 and 10,000 euros.
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Significance for the regional energy transition
Dorfen's mayor, Heinz Grundner, emphasizes the importance of the project for the local energy transition: “With the new solar park, our town is taking a significant step towards the regional energy transition. I am proud of the pioneering role Dorfen is playing in the use of renewable energies.” He also emphasizes that “electricity from the region for the region” is being produced here.
The Dorfen solar park joins a growing number of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems in the region. For comparison, another planned project by a Dorfen farmer covers an area of approximately 18 hectares and could supply more than 4,000 households with an annual electricity generation of 10 to 14 million kilowatt hours.
Outlook and future prospects
With its planned commissioning in mid-2025, the Dorfen solar park will make a significant contribution to local electricity generation from renewable energy sources. The project embodies several forward-looking aspects of the energy transition: decentralized electricity generation, intelligent storage technology, and direct citizen participation.
The combination of photovoltaics and battery storage exemplifies how the challenges of fluctuating electricity generation from renewable sources can be overcome. At the same time, the participatory model demonstrates how acceptance of renewable energy projects can be increased through direct financial participation by the local population.
The Dorfen solar park can therefore serve as a model for similar projects in other communities that want to make their energy supply more sustainable and at the same time strengthen regional value creation.
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