Energy market association calls for wide adoption of “biodiversity PV” in Germany

In an effort to make Germany’s solar expansion more socially acceptable and sustainable, the Association of Energy Market Innovators (bne) has presented a legislative proposal detailing the concept of “biodiversity PV”. Described as a three-in-one solution, biodiversity PV combines energy transition aims with measures to protect biodiversity and make agriculture more sustainable. As stated in Germany’s Renewable Energy Act, the country will build an average of around one gigawatt (GW) of new solar energy capacity per month from 2026. In order to become a new standard in solar power generation, biodiversity PV must be anchored in the Renewable Energy Act, the bne argues. “Our aim as an industry is to combine biodiversity protection, sustainabile agriculture and the generation of renewable energy in one area,” said bne CEO Robert Busch. “Biodiversity PV must become the new standard for the forthcoming boom in new solar capacity." It includes open-space systems on agricultural land that have been proven to promote biodiversity through their construction and extensive maintenance. Biodiversity PV installations are planned with a greater distance between individual modules to allow sunshine and rain to reach the ground and sustain biological processes beneath the solar arrays. "If biodiversity PV becomes the standard, tens of thousands of hectares will be secured for biodiversity every year - for several decades and without these areas having to be secured separately for nature conservation," Busch added.

In order to achieve its ambitious target of reaching 215 GW of installed solar PV capacity by 2030, from about 67 GW at the end of 2022. In order to secure more spaces for installing solar arrays, the government is planning legislation to make installation mandatory on new buildings and also facilitated construction on agricultural spaces.