state secretary

14
Nov

State Secretary visits SUNfarming Agri-Solar Centre Rathenow

Gert Zender, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of Saxony-Anhalt, accompanied by Volker Rost, Head of the Agricultural and Rural Areas Department, and Chris Schulenburg, CDU Member of the State Parliament, visited the SUNfarming Agri-Solar Research and Innovation Centre in Rathenow at the invitation of Christian Knees and Peter Schrum. The government delegation was visibly impressed by the status of the finished series production of the SUNfarming Agri-Solar Din Spec systems.

The politicians were impressed by the fact that SUNfarming Agri-Solar systems, with a maximum height of just 3.6 metres, can be used for agricultural purposes with small tractors, which can be replaced by AI Agri Robotic in the future and blend in well with the landscape. They also praised the patented SUNfarming rainwater distribution system for extensive irrigation under the modules.

In addition to the tour of the plant, the following topics were addressed at the meeting:

- Solar open spaces are currently still 100% the responsibility of the Minister of Energy/Environment. Farmers and SUNfarming are calling for the Ministry of Agriculture to be given a say in authorisations for agri-solar systems.
- Another demand is that agri-solar must be eligible for authorisation in landscape conservation areas, as is already the case in other federal states, due to the agricultural production that is possible here.
- In view of the fact that set-asides (CAP 4-10% fallow land) can also be combined with agri-solar in the future, this will also lead to landscape conservation areas and sites with better soils being opened up for agri-PV in Saxony-Anhalt.
- In the opinion of SUNfarming, it is incomprehensible why land utilisation plans are still necessary for agricultural agri-solar systems. As agri-solar is still an agricultural use, it should not be treated as a purely open-space system, explains Peter Schrum, SUNfarming founder.


Village power concepts and school gardens:

To further increase acceptance significantly, SUNfarming already has regional village electricity concepts where the community receives cheaper electricity. The village electricity concept was also very well received. Just like the SUNfarming school garden, which is made available to the community in municipalities with agri-solar areas of 50 ha or more for joint use to grow vegetables, fruit or for poultry farming, for schools and kindergartens to teach healthy eating.