29
Jul

SUNfarming Wild Herbs Meadows

SUNfarming plough for biodiversity: Yarrow, toadstool, bee pasture, wild radish, around 80 different wild herbs decorate the meadows and flower strips of our solar parks.

Extinction of pollinator insects threatens to produce $ 235-577 billion a year worldwide, according to the Biodiversity Council. Of 8 million insects, 1 million are threatened with extinction.
In March we started our pilot project "SUNfarming Wild Herbs Meadows - for more biodiversity ". First, the right seed mixture had to be found: it should be perennial and contain many medicinal herbs, bees and insects should find food and shelter throughout the summer, the meadow should be colorful so that also pleases our eyes.
"Skeptically we looked at the small amount of seed ordered: 1 kg for one hectare of arable land! We milled, sown and rolled - and then waited, "says Ursula Eckmann, SUNfarming Marketing.

"It followed a long dry April, on our field was still nothing to see. At the end of May we could see the first tender green and long-awaited rain brought us the sight of a dense herb carpet. The carpet is now more than knee high at the beginning of July and in the photo you can see how colorful it blooms. Bees, beetles, bumblebees, caterpillars and butterflies frolic on the flowers and leaves, with a stature height of about 60 cm, the meadow is an ideal hiding place for animals, "Ursula Eckmann continues.

Many plants are known as medical herbs and can be used to make teas, ointments and tinctures. Marigolds have a disinfectant, anti-inflammatory and wound healing, shepherd's purse contains a lot of vitamin C and a lot of minerals, yarrow was already known in the Middle Ages as a special gypsophila and ribwort helps with itchy mosquito bites. Many of the seeded herbs have a positive effect on the entire cardiovascular system. Rosemary improves blood circulation, oregano soothes and borage counteracts nervous irritation. Frequent use in the kitchen is well worth it.
With a stature height of 60 cm there is no impairment of the performance of the solar modules by shading.
Our solar parks not only generate renewable energy but, at the same time, provide added value for nature through the dual use of the areas. Bloom strips between the rows of modules promote the biodiversity of plants and animals. Herbal mixtures, herbal salads, smoothies or Sunny Wild Honey are produced regionally and sustainably.

SUNfarming Conclusion: Diversity is healthy!

5
Jul

SUNfarming wins Energy Globe Award 2019!

2017 the Intersolar Award, 2018 in the TOP 3 for the GreenTec Award and in 2019 SUNfarming wins the Energy Globe Award National Bahamas. Our project "The Hybrid Center Bahamas -Green My Generation" convinced the jury.

With more than 182 participating countries and over 2,000 projects submitted each year, the Energy Globe Award is currently the world's most prestigious environmental award. It recognizes projects at the regional, national and global level that conserve resources such as energy or use renewable or emission-free sources. Award ceremonies take place all over the world. Celebrities and Energy Globe Ambassadors in 90 countries support Energy Globe's mission. Energy Globe's activities attract media attention worldwide - international television stations report about 1,000 hours of air time each year. The aim of the Energy Globe is to draw worldwide attention to sustainable, universally applicable environmental solutions and to motivate people to become active in this area as well.

"We are proud of our project and the performance of our team and are pleased that the uniqueness of our project has been rewarded with the Energy Globe Award.The Hybrid Center Bahamas is intended as a test facility for hurricane resistant special solar panels and substructures a blue print for other larger facilities in areas where there is no network access", explains Peter Schrum, SUNfarming founder and principal shareholder.

SUNfarming also qualified for this year's Energy Globe World Award by winning the Energy Globe National Award.

Together with bioltec Systems GmbH, SUNfarming has developed a training and demonstration center for the Bahamas for renewable energies, energy efficiency and sustainable mobility - the Bahamas Hybrid Center. Partners include 700 Island Energy and Windsor High School. The Bahamas Hybrid Center is installed at Windsor High School in Albany, Nassau.

SUNfarming wins Energy Globe Award Bahamas

The Caribbean region is highly dependent on imported fossil fuels and food.
The Windsor High School imports all of their food for the student’s cafeteria from outside the country. More than 80% of the Nation of the Bahamas does the same due to a systemic failure in agricultural development and incentives. The Windsor school is provided energy from the national power grid which receives electricity generated from large diesel engines consuming blends of fuel oil and diesel fuel.

The goal of the Hybrid Center Bahamas is to instruct and demonstrate on the topics of SUNfarming Food & Energy, electromobility and bioltec’s fuel efficiency management (renewable fuels) in an alliance with 700 Islands Energy to create the conditions for the development of an economic model that will contribute to the independence of the Caribbean countries in terms of fossil fuels as well as food and water security.

Since the installation of the SUNfarming and bioltec system, a portion the food and energy consumed by Windsor Schools is not produced renewably and sustainably. In addition the basics of photovoltaics and agriculture along with the specific of operating the hybrid center are now included in the science curriculum of the school. So students and faculty are able to operate the hybrid center and instruct others on the value of such systems.

This project is part of the worldwide dena Renewable Energy Solutions Programme coordinated by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena) - the German Energy Agency - and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) within the German Energy Solutions Initiative.

Read more about SUNfarming Hybrid Center