The event was organised in cooperation with the State Office for Occupational Safety, Consumer Protection and Health (LAVG Brandenburg), represented by the Animal Welfare Advisory Service. Thanks to the funding of the Focus Animal Welfare Network by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Community, participation was free of charge.

The event brought together farmers with animal husbandry, representatives of authorities and scientific institutions, as well as experts from consulting, planning, and the solar industry.

Program Highlights

The day began with a get-together and welcome address by Dr. Claudia Possardt (TSBD) and Angelique Buchwald (Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, LAVG), followed by a guided tour of the Agri-PV systems on site, which are operated in combination with livestock farming.

The technical program featured a series of expert lectures:

• Luca Unger (M. Münch Elektrotechnik GmbH & Co. KG) shared insights on the behaviour of farm animals in Agri-PV systems.
• Edith Seemann (BRM e.V.) explained the current funding opportunities for Agri-PV in livestock farming.
• Carl Pump (University of Greifswald / Fraunhofer ISE) presented technical solutions for implementing Agri-PV in free-range farming.
• Lawyer Margarete von Oppen (orka Partnerschaft mbB) gave an overview of legal aspects regarding the building application process for Agri-PV on run-off areas.
• Several farmers shared their own practical experiences, providing valuable insights from the field.

Key Takeaways

The event demonstrated that combining livestock farming with Agri-PV creates multiple benefits:
• Improved animal welfare through protection from heat, heavy rain, and frost
• Increased profitability of agricultural land by enabling dual use—energy generation and livestock farming
• A valuable contribution to climate protection and the energy transition

In the concluding discussion, participants emphasized that Agri-PV in livestock farming is not only a technological advancement but also a socially relevant innovation. Many called for simplified approval and funding structures to unlock the full potential of this sustainable solution.

Medicinal herbs such as sage, nasturtium, and chamomile are currently being cultivated under solar modules at the Innovation Center. These crops are considered especially attractive in the premium market segment, offering agri-solar farmers new economic perspectives. The first trial results are expected as early as next year.

With these innovative multi-use concepts, we go far beyond renewable electricity generation with battery storage. We deliver legal certainty for the use of industrial waste heat and open new economic opportunities for both agriculture and industry.

As a leading provider of Agri-solar solutions, we continue to adapt to market needs — combining energy, agriculture, and industry to create sustainable solutions for the future.

The advantages of dual land use — generating clean energy while maintaining agricultural production on the same land — resonated particularly well with farmers. “With us, farmers remain farmers on their own land,” said Stephan Franke, Head of SUNfarming Project Development North.

Political dialogue on Agri-PV for peatlands
A special highlight was the visit of Agriculture Minister Werner Schwarz, who was welcomed by SUNfarming founder Peter Schrum. The conversations focused on simplifying and enabling approvals for Agri-Solar on peatlands.

Peter Schrum, Founder of SUNfarming, emphasized: “Currently, many peatlands in Schleswig-Holstein that are mown several times a year are not eligible for Agri-Solar. This makes little sense from either a nature conservation or climate protection perspective. Instead of using valuable arable land, we should make peatlands sustainably usable through Agri-PV combined with extensive cattle grazing beneath the modules.”
This position reflects long-standing requests from farmers and highlights a practical path to combine nature conservation with the energy transition.

Conclusion
Norla 2025 underlined that Agri-Solar is a forward-looking concept for agriculture and the energy transition — delivering clear benefits for farmers, policymakers and society alike.

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance.

Environmental: CO₂ reduction, energy efficiency, renewable energy.
Social: fair working conditions, safety, diversity.
Governance: transparency, compliance, ethics.

At Cube Green Energy, ESG is at the heart of everything we do. Since our integration with SUNfarming in January 2025, we have been combining our strengths to advance innovative onshore wind and Agri-PV solutions. SUNfarming brings decades of experience in the development and implementation of photovoltaic and Agri-PV projects – expertise that enables us to make even more efficient use of Europe’s limited land resources.

By repowering ageing wind farms and enabling dual land use through Agri-PV, we not only increase the production of clean energy but also strengthen local agriculture while improving food and energy security.

These nominations recognise our joint impact in environmental protection, social responsibility and exemplary corporate governance – all central to our mission of building a cleaner and smarter energy future.

The awards ceremony will take place in early October, and we look forward to celebrating alongside other changemakers from across the industry.

Congratulations to all other nominated organisations – and a big thank you to IJGlobal for this recognition!

From September 4 to 7 2025, more than 500 exhibitors from the fields of agriculture, home and garden, nutrition and renewable energies as well as 70,000 visitors are once again expected in Rendsburg. Several hundred animals will also be presented at the 34th State Livestock Show at Norla.
SUNfarming will be presenting a 1:1 Agri-PV system 17 x 6 m. Find out about the many possibilities of dual use of our Agri-PV systems for arable farming and livestock farming.
At Norla, we will show how Agri-PV is driving the energy transition while addressing the challenges of land scarcity and innovative local agricultural practices:

- Agri-PV systems for livestock: innovative systems that support animal welfare while generating clean energy.
- Protection for specialty crops: PV systems that protect fruit, wine and vegetable crops from extreme weather conditions - climate resilience in action.
- Hybrid concepts with battery storage: Modular and efficient solutions that increase energy independence and farm profitability.

Visit us at Norla - Stand H 16 in the outdoor area right next to Maschinenring Mittelholstein.
We look forward to talking to you!

The 25 students from the fields of horticulture and industrial engineering were accompanied by Prof. Thomas Rath and test engineer Olaf Melzer. The focus of the visit was on the question of how horticultural production can be realized under agrivoltaics (APV) - with a view to cultivation practice, yield potential and system efficiency. The excursion served as an introduction to the complex interactions between crop cultivation and photovoltaic systems.

The tour was led by SUNfarming founder Peter Schrum and the technical support team. During a tour of the two-hectare research facility, SUNfarming presented various agri-PV systems and the crops grown under them. In addition to technical production issues, business aspects such as investment models, funding conditions and land efficiency were also discussed.The students actively participated with specific questions - both on technical details and practical cultivation issues. They were particularly interested in the suitability of various crops for cultivation under partially shaded conditions and the requirements for irrigation techniques.

The feedback from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences was consistently positive. The content and practical insights provided offer numerous starting points for future theses and joint research projects. Both the accompanying professors and the students showed great interest in more in-depth collaboration.