Is the world's largest solar farm set for Bavaria?

Bavarian Solar Farm

Some of the world's largest companies reside in the German state of Bavaria, well known for its economic strength and industrial history. But if the head of one Germany's wealthiest families has is way, the region could soon be synonymous with renewable energy.

The House of Thurn and Taxis, headed by 26-year old Albert Prinz of Thurn and Taxis, wants to build the world's largest solar energy park using farmland in the southern German state of Bavaria.

According to the Financial Times Deutschland, the family plans to invest 115 million euros on a solar farm spanning 1.9 million square metres of farm land in the town of Harthof near Straubing, the equivalent of 280 football pitches. When completed the project would generate 65MW of peak power.

What makes the site so ideal for solar power is its topography, as the flatness of the land in Harthof is unmatched in much of the world, even in Africa's Sahara desert.

The project has hit obstacles already

However, Prinz's vision of generating solar power from the Bavarian sun has come up against obstacles even at such early stages. Local NIMBYs are against the idea of such a huge development encroaching on their agricultural land. And its not surprising when you consider the farm would stretch from the Harthof border three kilometers towards the neighboring town of Alburg.

Its a familiar story. Local residents claim to be all for fighting climate change and have "nothing against" renewable energy projects, but they would just rather these projects were out of sight and pretty much out of mind. Now that blissful ignorance is no longer an acceptable standpoint when it comes to the reality of climate change, many people are instead hoping to remain ignorant to the steps being taken to combat global warming.

But in this case, thankfully, the NIMBY's have been overruled.

A referendum could cause delays the family can ill afford

Because despite a petition to block the solar farm, the Straubing City Council voted to approve the project, which would bring in approximately 1 million euros of taxes to the city from the 18 million euros in annual electricity sales the House of Thurn and Taxis hopes to earn.

As BusinessWeek reports with his latest business venture, Albert Prinz von Thurn and Taxis hopes to become the latest entrant into a regional solar boom-one fed by the sunny climate, rapid price declines and state-guaranteed prices for green electricity. This year alone, the region between Landshut, Regensburg and Straubing will see about 60 new large solar farms installed. In addition, approximately 60,000 new roof installations are popping up across Bavaria.

But if Bavarian residents are able to force a referendum on the solar farm, the project will be massively delayed, which the family can ill afford. At the moment the plan is to get the solar panels connected to the grid and producing electricity by the end of next year. At the moment this seems optimistic.

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