Boom in public participation

An entire photovoltaic solar park is also being built on the German-French border at the former coal-mining site of Terril Wendel, financed by citizens, local authorities and companies from the region. Over 44,000 photovoltaic modules will be installed on an area of 22.7 hectares. After commissioning, an installed capacity of approximately 18.169 MWh per year will cover the electricity and heating needs of more than 2,600 people and save more than 10,432 tons of CO2 per year.

A further increase in participation models is expected as a result of a new EU directive to be implemented by mid 2021. This directive provides for the establishment of so-called renewable energy communities, which will also allow private individuals and companies to sell electricity generated by their plants. PV expert Dr. Gerhard Rimpler: "This will of course also contribute to making photovoltaics increasingly attractive.