Renewable energies - Industry association urges more speed in solar expansion
In order to drive forward the expansion of photovoltaics, the renewables industry is calling on the state government to set up a solar energy task force - along the lines of the existing wind energy task force. It should ensure more speed in the expansion of solar energy, said Hans-Josef Vogel, Chairman of the NRW Renewable Energies Association (LEE NRW), to the dpa news agency. The wind energy task force was set up by the state government in the fall of 2022 to accelerate the expansion of wind energy. Several ministries are involved.
"The expansion of solar energy in NRW has so far been largely concentrated on private and commercial roofs," said Vogel. Less than four percent of the newly installed capacity in 2023 was attributable to ground-mounted solar systems. "The situation is significantly different in other federal states, where this rate is around 20 percent." NRW must make much better use of the existing potential in open spaces, but also in agricultural, floating or parking lot photovoltaics (PV). What is needed is support from local authorities, as well as information campaigns and pilot projects. The term agri-PV is used when photovoltaic systems are installed on an area and farming is carried out underneath at the same time. With floating PV, the modules float on a body of standing water.
The state government also sees "a lot of room for improvement" with regard to ground-mounted PV in NRW, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. In this context, a spokesperson referred to the amendment to the State Development Plan (LEP), which has already been approved by the cabinet and is intended to regulate the possibilities for the use of solar energy in open spaces. The new LEP expressly supports the multiple use of land by agri-PV. "In this way, land, which is a scarce resource in densely populated North Rhine-Westphalia, can be used optimally." The new LEP is to be discussed in the state parliament in the spring.
The spokesperson emphasized that the state has also launched a rooftop and open space campaign in order to significantly increase the amount of additional space in the coming year. The state has also launched the "More photovoltaics on commercial roofs" campaign. In its coalition agreement, the black-green state government had emphasized its intention to "strongly" expand electricity generation from photovoltaics.
In 2023, more PV systems were installed in North Rhine-Westphalia than ever before. According to the International Economic Forum for Renewable Energies (IWR), the net figure at the end of November was already around 200,000 new systems - after a good 81,000 in 2022. At 1992 megawatts, the newly installed capacity at the end of November was also more than twice as high as in 2022 (953 megawatts).
"On the one hand, this development shows that solar is becoming normal in NRW, and on the other hand, it shows the huge potential that still exists in NRW as a solar state," said Vogel from LEE NRW. So far, less than ten percent of all roofs have been equipped with solar modules. "NRW is therefore at the beginning of a solar boom."
Expansion figures for NRW Energy supply strategy NRW Open space campaign Wind energy task force
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- The renewables industry in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is pushing for a solar energy taskforce similar to the wind energy taskforce, aiming to accelerate the deployment of solar energy.
- As reported by dpa news agency, Hans-Josef Vogel, Chairman of the NRW Renewable Energies Association (LEE NRW), urged the state government to establish this taskforce.
- The solar expansion in NRW has primarily focused on private and commercial roofs, with ground-mounted solar systems accounting for less than 4% of the new capacity in 2023.
- To address this, Vogel emphasized the need for support from local authorities, information campaigns, and pilot projects for various types of solar energy, including agri-PV and floating PV.
- The state government acknowledges the potential for improvement in ground-mounted PV and is already working on amendments to the State Development Plan (LEP) to support agri-PV and multiple land use.
- The black-green state government of NRW has committed to strongly expanding electricity generation from photovoltaics, as stated in their coalition agreement.
- In 2023, NRW saw the highest number of new PV systems installed and the largest increase in new capacity compared to the previous year, demonstrating the significant potential for solar energy in the region.
Source: www.stern.de
