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A total of 200 kWp SUNfarming Solar systems provide the 2008 completed complex, including a spa with brine basin and swimming pool, with solar power in the future. Installed 120 kWp on the former cowshed and 80 kWp distributed on 5 carports. An energy concept was established even before the start of construction. In addition to the PV systems, heat is obtained from heat pumps with deep bores. A Eventsaal with 200 seats is heated with floor and wall heating. In principle, only LED lighting is used and an energy-saving technology ensures the water treatment.
“In the future, the hotel will be able to operate with renewable energy alone. This is probably unique for Germany and the project is waiting for imitation, “explains Julius Jäger, SUNfarming project manager.

This is another important step towards the realization of the first large SUNfarming oasis for Food & Energy plants in Germany.
The metalworking Butting Group provides almost 3 ha of land in Knesebeck for the construction. The parcel is located directly behind the premises and will be leased to the project. The roofs of the solar greenhouses are partially occupied with PV modules for power generation, the area in the greenhouse under the modules is used for the cultivation of regionally produced food.
KoNaMo is based in Berlin, where actors and strategies, technologies and application scenarios for sustainable mobility in Germany are brought together.
“The Butting GmbH is an optimal project partner for us because the power is 100% accepted on weekends,” explains Holger Schönherr SUNfarming project manager.
“With our Food & Energy facilities, we can give around 20 people from crisis areas, long-term unemployed and people with disabilities a chance to qualify for the first job market each year,” adds Holger Schönherr.
In addition, managers should also be trained to take care of the operation and the marketing. According to the city council, the company’s partners are the Oskar Kämmer School and the Federal Employment Agency.
The SUNfarming Food & Energy Training concept of solar greenhouses has been successfully applied and tested in Africa. South Africa has the best experience with this concept and we want to establish this concept in Germany as well.
The goal is to start construction by the middle of next year.

(Erkner/Berlin, 30 August 2018) On the sun terrace of the Estrel in Berlin, the largest hotel in Europe, SUNfarming has built its solar greenhouse at a height of 50 m. The greenhouse, which is covered by a 4 m wide light dome, has a size of approx. 42, 5m ² (5m x 8, 5m). The rooftops east and west of the light dome are equipped with SUNfarming modules, the generated solar power is used directly by the hotel.
The plant is used by SUNfarming GmbH as a model of larger SF Food & Energy plants and SF Urban Farming in Germany in order to present project partners, politicians and financial partners, including ambassadors from African States, SF Food & Energy in a practical manner. Under the partial shading of the greenhouse, a micro-climate with low evaporation is formed; This favours the growth of different types of vegetables as hydroponics. Irrigation is carried out by means of a water-saving drip irrigation. This makes it possible to cultivate plants at otherwise barren sites – such as house roofs or in resource-poor areas (crisis regions, developing countries).
Kitchen director Peter Griebel harvests fresh and regional organic vegetables and herbs for his restaurant kitchens. At present, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, blueberries, chilies, bavarian figs and medicinal herbs are mainly harvested here.

On August 29th the project was inaugurated during the course of a rooftop party. Numerous guests from politics and business had followed the joint invitation of SUNfarming and Estrel and had the opportunity to visit the solar greenhouse, accompanied by specialized experts who were happy to answer all the questions.

In his opening speech, hotel director Thomas Brückner highlights the great interest of the Estrel hotel in healthy organic food products and its own spice production in cooperation with SUNfarming.
In his address, Peter Schrum,the main shareholder and founder of the SUNfarming Group, emphasizes the wide range of possible applications and possibilities for development policy: “The advantages for citizens and municipalities are endless. SUNfarming Urban Farming Plus contributes to the regional supply of cities. This project offers a wide participation of the municipalities with long-term ownership, sustainable food and energy production and job security with a strong training component also for schools and research institutions “.
Internationally, the SUNfarming multi-purpose light domes can make an important development policy contribution to the elimination of escape causes. With these projects, we not only save resources, but also create knowledge resources for the future through educational offerings”, concludes Peter Schrum.
More informations can be found here

(on the photo f.l.t.r.: Ambassador of Kasachstan Mr. Bolat Nussupov, Peter Schrum SUNfarming, Ambassador of the Republic of Uganda Mr. Marcel Tibaleka, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa Mr. Stone Sizani)

Article in pv-magazine (german)

In the municipalities of Wolmirsleben, Wegeleben and Hennickendorf in Saxony-Anhalt, 750 kWp were ever realised on former landfill sites, a further 750 kWp were completed in Harzgerode in the district of Märkisch Oderland as a free-field plant.

“Every year the four plants together produce proud 3.2 million kilowatt-kilowatts of electricity. This is enough to supply electricity from solar energy for about 900 households over 30 years. 11,000 built-in SUNfarming quality modules ensure a CO2 saving of 1,700 tonnes per year”, explains Martin Hinneburg SUNfarming head of sales and project calculation.

Landfills are as sites for Solar Park as created, no shading, conveniently located and the network connection in the immediate vicinity. Administration and municipal policy advocated a leasing of the area and the development of a photovoltaic system since other uses are often not to be reconciled with the context of a former landfill.
In addition to the sustainable generation of energy, the solar parks have additional financial benefits for the counties, which has an impact on the costs of the citizens.
Read more about the SUNfarming Own-Electricity-Concept for municipalities

The District Council deputies decided it at the March meeting and in June it was legally founded: the SUN:BAR Photovoltaic Barnim GmbH. The project company, a joint venture between the Brandenburg BPG Beteiligungs-und Projekt Management GmbH from Erkner (sister company of SUNfarming GmbH) and the Barnimer Energy Investment Company MBH (BEBG) plans to invest in the Barnim decentralised generation and storage of electricity from renewable energy sources.

The first project is already on the verge of implementation: this year, the expansion of the landfill in Eberswalde will start an energy park. Up to 2020, three solar plants with an installed capacity of 750 kWp are to be built on the site of the decommissioned landfill. The completion of the first plant is already planned for autumn 2018.

“It is our first joint venture with a municipal company and we are pleased to be able to contribute a part to the implementation of the Barnimer energy turnaround,” says Martin Tauschke, technical managing director of SUN:BAR.

“With the BPG we have found a competent and experienced partner in the solar plant investment planning and plant management to build municipal production plants in the district Barnim. In perspective, our goal is to market the electricity generated here also regionally. The participation of citizens is also within reach. One of the three plants could be conceived as a citizen solar system, we examine “, announces Christian Mehnert, managing director of SUN:BAR.

SUNfarming GmbH has received an order for the turnkey construction of 5 MW solar plants from investment companies of the Schrum-Tauschke family. The projects have been successfully developed by SUNfarming GmbH for the last few months. These are 750 kWp free-field installations as well as roof-top plants of various sizes within Germany. The construction is expected to begin at the end of July. The order volume is approximately EUR 6 million. The investments are financed via the GLS Community Bank EC. The credit agreements have been signed by the investment companies this week.

“Unlike in the PV industry, we offer a one-stop service, from project development to service and monitoring. We have developed a unique quality assurance system for banks and investors. In our PV components, we rely exclusively on high-quality materials, in addition to the certification by TÜV Rheinland, checked by SUNfarming experts for quality according to a particularly stringent system.
An average of 7% more performance of our plants in recent years confirms the premium quality of our components “, explains Martin Tauschke, SUNfarming managing director.

As one of the ten largest German companies in the field of solar PV, the SUNfarming group has acquired its competence in the field of renewable energy over the past 14 years with more than 500 MWP solar systems as free-field and roof-top plants in Germany and worldwide, of which 115 MWP in its own investment Our group of companies is economically active in the project development, financing, realisation and operation of solar plants and related concepts such as agro-photovoltaics and e-mobility.