SUNfarming präsentiert seine langjährig entwickelten Agri-PV-Konzepte für Tierhaltung und Sonderkulturen auf der Intersolar 2025, der weltweit führenden Fachmesse für die Solarwirtschaft. Besuchen Sie uns in Halle A4, Stand 130 und erfahren Sie mehr über unsere neuesten Projekte und Agri-PV-Konzepte.
SUNfarming will be presenting its Agri-PV concepts for animal husbandry and special crops, which have been developed over many years, at Intersolar 2025, the world's leading trade fair for the solar industry. Visit us in hall A4, booth 130 and learn more about our latest projects and Agri-PV concepts.

For visitors to our stand: You are hereby cordially invited to contact Ms. Janine Breitenfeld and make an appointment:
j.breitenfeld(at)sunfarming.de

In addition to rooftop PV, ground-mounted systems on landfills and conversion areas as well as floating PV systems, SUNfarming's particular focus is on the development, construction and operation of agrivoltaic systems for animal husbandry and as well as for fruit and vegetable cultivation in Germany and internationally. With innovative dual use concepts specifically for agriculture, horticulture and viticulture, SUNfarming is driving forward the energy transition in a sustainable way. SUNfarming develops innovative PV solutions with its own engineers, has already realized more than 650 MW of installed capacity and has a short-term pipeline of 4 GWp with approx. 0.8 GWp in the late development phase.

With a total of 25,000 photovoltaic modules, this innovative plant will not only contribute to the regional energy transition, but also serve as another example of the sustainable reuse of former landfill sites.
The PV system will generate green electricity in the Eberswalde region and thus make an important contribution to supplying regional companies. In addition, the plant will save around 5,000 tons of CO2 annually and thus have a positive impact on climate protection.
Thies Schrum, Member of the Management Board of SUNfarming, emphasizes: "We are pleased that, together with our long-standing partners, we are also implementing special systems on buildings in addition to our main focus on agri-solar systems in order to sustainably shape the energy transition through the multiple use of land.
With this project, SUNfarming is continuing on its path of creating sustainable solutions for energy supply and leaving a positive ecological footprint.

The event provided a valuable platform for presenting the initial results of feasibility studies and discussing innovative technological applications of renewable energies. A highlight of the conference was the contribution by Edith Seemann, Managing Director of SUNfarming Projektentwicklung, who provided an important impetus with her presentation on the topic of ‘Agri-PV-Renewable Energies 4.0-Electricity-Agriculture-Storage-Green Hydrogen’. Her in-depth knowledge and practical experience inspired the participants and provided valuable perspectives for the realisation of innovative projects in the field of renewable energies.

The participation and input of experts were of great importance for the success of the event and the further development of the project. The exchange on the various challenges and solutions in the integration of renewable energies in practice was enormously enriched by such contributions.

All documents relating to the conference can be viewed on the Renewable Energy Innovation Park website. The project team hopes to continue to involve valuable partners and experts such as Edith Seemann in the next steps of the innovation park and to continuously promote dialogue on the energy transition.

SUNfarming Agri-Solar animal welfare systems.

Peter Schrum from Schleswig-Holstein and Martin Tauschke from Brandenburg founded the solar company SUNfarming in Erkner near Berlin in 2004. With their own system developers, steel constructors and engineers, SUNfarming developed foundation systems, substructures and solar module qualities, which are co-labelled for SUNfarming and, as glass-glass modules, are characterised above all are also characterised by the highest hail and hurricane resistance. In the first few years, the main focus was on roof photovoltaic plants, conversion areas and landfill sites with PV systems were realised in Germany, the agricultural economist Peter Schrum, in view of the damage caused by climate change in Africa and the upcoming waves of refugees travelling to Europe about a food & energy plant in Africa. These are now known as Agri-PV systems. In 2012, SUNfarming built the first plant on the African on the African continent. Since then it has been supporting training in organic farming and provides people with food security and renewable energy. Fruit, vegetables and fruit, vegetables and medicinal herbs.

Since then, SUNfarming has been researching and optimising the use of agri-PV systems with crop cultivation and animal husbandry and is the only provider in the agri PV market has developed a rainwater management system under the system, which prevents soil erosion avoids soil erosion and promotes vegetation by distributing rainwater over a wide area. The first solar package in 2021 made it possible to introduce the Agri-PV concepts, which have now been tried and tested for more than ten years, to the German market. Various types of fruit and vegetables are planted under the modules, protected from the weather; Suckler cows, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese and fallow deer find shelter from the rain and sun. The SUNfarming flowering meadows for more biodiversity are home to many native insect species.

For farmers and investors, the latest legislation offers opportunities in the field of agri-solar. One Agri-PVA can be installed per farm or farmstead. Privileged according to §35 BauGB, para. 1, no. 9 and DIN SPEC 91434 for animal welfare and organic cultivation of fruit and vegetables. The agricultural use for commercial purposes under the facility must be proven. ‘In addition to the generation of renewable energy and climate protection, we want to use our concept, we want to ensure that the land on which electricity is generated can continue to be used for agricultural purposes,’ explains Peter Schrum. ‘Farmers should keep one hundred per cent of their farmland and not lose it to the large energy producers, who are squeezing them out with high lease payments for ground-mounted systems.’

In addition aspects of nature conservation must be taken into account, areas must not be sealed and broad public acceptance must be achieved. ‘SUNfarming Agri-PVA are designed for a service life of at least 30 years and are fixed horizontally at a minimum height of 2.10 metres. With a south-facing orientation of 15 degrees, we achieve between 1.1 and 1.3 MW per hectare of agricultural land in Germany, depending on the location,’ explains Martin Tauschke, co-founder of SUNfarming. ‘Land under our systems retains its agricultural status and therefore remains an agricultural asset for property tax and inheritance tax purposes unchanged in agricultural assets.’

The largest SUNfarming Agri-PVAs will be will be built from autumn 2024 in the eastern German federal states, where agricultural land is large and land values are often low, and others in western and southern German regions. The SUNfarming management is optimistic about the future thanks to the new features of Solar Package I and the increase in the maximum bid value for Agri-PVA in accordance with DIN SPEC to 9.5 ct/kWh. ‘On agricultural land, there can be no other solution than an Agri-PV system in accordance with DIN SPEC if the land is to be preserved sustainably for agriculture and regional value creation,’ says Edith Seemann, Managing Director Project Development. SUNfarming sees further potential for Agri-PV systems in Germany
for more than 800,000 hectares of agricultural land, i.e. almost five per cent of agricultural land in Germany.

For SUNfarming, the 20th anniversary marks a milestone in the development towards the combined utilisation of agrivoltaic systems with battery storage, biogas plants for municipal heat heat supply and energy storage, as well as Agri-PV-wind energy combinations for the production of green hydrogen.

Ursula Eckmann
The graduate engineer is project manager at SUNfarming

About SUNfarming
SUNfarming is now developing a plant volume of more than 5 GW of Agri-PV plants in
agri-PV systems in Germany and employs over 150 people nationwide. In 2021 and 2022, the company was further strengthened by the new managing directors Thies Schrum and Edith Seemann. SUNfarming has received several internationally for its holistic, sustainable solar concepts (food, energy, training).

In 2023, Peter Schrum was honoured for his services to international sustainability projects for food security, support for people in developing countries and his Food & Energy concept with the Federal Cross of Merit. At the company's own research and development centre in Rathenow near Berlin, SUNfarming presents the latest solutions and concepts for Agri-PV with animal husbandry and crop production as well as biodiversity PV and peatland PV to several thousand visitors and interested citizens/farmers/municipal decision-makers every year.
https://sunfarming.de/geschaeftsbereich/agri-und-oeko-solaranlagen

Agri-PV: sustainability and added value for agriculture

The SUNfarming agri and biodiversity solar concept combines agriculture and solar energy in a forward-looking way. In addition to energy generation, it offers significant advantages for animal husbandry and fruit and vegetable growing:
- Dual utilisation and increased yield: agricultural uses such as livestock farming and crop cultivation can be efficiently implemented under the bifacial glass-glass solar modules.
- Biodiversity and species diversity: The concept increases biodiversity on grassland and set-aside areas and fulfils the GAEC (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition) standards of the 2023-2027 CAP funding period.

Practical solutions

Edith Seemann highlighted how Agri-PV specifically contributes to the protection and optimisation of agricultural processes:
- Animal welfare: cattle, suckler cows, calves and poultry benefit from year-round outdoor housing with protection from weather extremes and predators.
- Efficient cultivation: Hail and heavy rain protection under the solar modules prevents crop losses. A patented rainwater distribution system ensures extensive irrigation and prevents soil erosion.
- Flexibility of use: The designs enable agricultural cultivation with smaller tractors and are also suitable for difficult soils, such as moorland with special root foundations.

Economic advantages and eligibility for subsidies

A particular highlight of the concept is the economic valorisation of set-aside areas:
- Dual utilisation enables agricultural use with simultaneous electricity generation.
- 85% of the land is eligible for subsidies and retains its agricultural status.

Conclusion: Agriculture and the energy transition go hand in hand

The concepts presented demonstrate how the agriculture of the future can not only be made more economically stable, but also more ecologically valuable. The innovative approaches of SUNfarming not only promote climate protection, but also make a decisive contribution to the preservation of biodiversity.

Edith Seemann concluded with the words: ‘Agrivoltaics is a win-win solution for agriculture and the environment. It is our responsibility to utilise these opportunities.’

This means that, with immediate effect, MR Mittelholstein is the exclusive machinery ring in Schleswig-Holstein for advising and supporting farmers with the implementation of SUNfarming agrivoltaic systems. Agri-photovoltaic pioneer SUNfarming, whose founding family from Dithmarschen has been active in agriculture for several generations, is one of the leading providers of agrivoltaic systems and develops the system technology and system substructures in Flensburg and Kiel.
In joint information events, to which Maschinenring Mittelholstein will be inviting people on 29 November and 10 December at the Nienborstel office, SUNfarming will be providing information specifically on the development, economic viability and approval processes for privileged 2.5 ha agri-PV systems close to farms.

‘As an innovative machinery ring, MR Mittelholstein has been supporting farms since 1988 with a wide range of services, from hoof care to domestic support and insurance. Due to the high demand for on-farm agrivoltaic systems from farmers, the machinery ring is predestined as a trustworthy partner to also provide all information and consulting services relating to agrivoltaic systems,’ says Uwe Reimers, Managing Director of Maschinenring Mittelholstein. ‘We have known SUNfarming as a pioneer in the field of agrivoltaics for many years and are convinced of their one-stop solution from Schleswig-Holstein. That's why we decided in favour of this exclusive partnership.’

‘We are looking forward to working with Maschinenring Mittelholstein. Mr Reimers and his team in the office offer a professional range of advice for agricultural businesses and can thus specifically address all questions relating to the agricultural business concept and the dual use of land with agriculture and renewable energies,’ says Edith Seemann, Managing Director of SUNfarming Projekt GmbH.

Maschinenring Mittelholstein is fully committed to helping farmers, their families, private households and businesses. The most important objective is to improve the quality of life and economic viability of people living in rural areas. In order to achieve this goal, Maschinenring Mittelholstein offers its members and customers as well as all interested parties numerous active services in the areas of relief & support, advice & expertise, machinery & technology, animals & plants as well as trade & brokerage.

If you are interested, please contact info(at)mr-mittelholstein.de directly for information on dates for the information events as well as for individual consultation appointments relating to SUNfarming Agri-Photovoltaics.