Largest floating solar system in Germany inaugurated

The largest floating solar system in Germany has gone into operation in Baden-Württemberg. It is the size of around eleven football fields and is intended, among other things, to supply energy to a gravel quarry.

Floating solar systems are no longer new in themselves. They already exist in many countries where they contribute to a stable electricity supply. There are also such photovoltaic systems from water in Germany – although so far they have been on a smaller scale.

But recently a new mileage occurred. In Baden-Württemberg, the largest floating solar system in Germany was put into operation on Lake Philippsee, around 20 kilometers south of Heidelberg.

The largest floating solar system in Germany

The system includes 27,160 solar modules on an area of ​​around eight hectares. Ideally, these can generate an output of up to 15 megawatts. The constellation is expected to produce around 16 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which will, among other things, supply energy to a nearby gravel works.

The operator feeds the excess energy into the public grid. The facility has been in operation since August 2024 and was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann. Floating solar systems offer many advantages. They save valuable land space and are particularly suitable for artificially created bodies of water such as quarry lakes, which are often located close to electricity-intensive operations.

In Baden-Württemberg there are already similar but smaller systems on the lakes in Renchen and Ostrach. The use of such solar systems contributes to the energy transition and can significantly increase the use of renewable energies. According to Kretschmann, floating solar systems are an important part of exploiting the full potential of solar energy.

China as a pioneer

Various project partners are also currently working on another large project in Lower Lusatia. A floating system with 51,000 modules and an output of 29 megawatts is being built on the Baltic Sea near Cottbus. Internationally, the world's largest floating solar plant is located in China.

This delivers an output of 320 megawatts and is considered a pioneer for many other projects. The current expansion in Germany shows that floating solar systems can be a promising solution for clean energy production.

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