PRESS RELEASE
Löffingen, 22.11.2024
Next2Sun presents another innovation with three-row Agri-PV system
The Agri-Solarpark in Löffingen was officially opened today, Friday, by the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir. At the Agri-Solarpark Löffingen, a large part of the module rows were realized with three modules on top of each other for the first time. With this innovation, Next2Sun is presenting another groundbreaking advancement in the field of vertical agrivoltaics. Although temperatures were freezing, numerous representatives from politics, business and agriculture as well as many people involved in the project accepted the invitation from Agri Solarpark Löffingen GmbH, in which the Next2Sun Group and Wolfram Wiggert, farmer from Haslachhof, each hold a 50% stake. The Minister seized the opportunity to climb into a tractor and drive through the ceremonial ribbon stretched between the vertical rows of modules.
In his speech, Cem Özdemir highlighted the importance of such projects for the energy transition, the future of agriculture and the region: “We must achieve the energy transition together with the people in the countryside and also protect valuable agricultural land in the process. Innovative prime examples such as the Agri-Solarpark in Löffingen are indispensable for this: thanks to vertical modules, hardly any land is used and local residents are offered an investment opportunity. This fits in perfectly with the concept of Haslachhof, which has long been known throughout Germany for its environmental services. Agriculture and sustainable energy production have been successfully combined here for years, including with biogas. We need more lighthouse projects like this one in Löffingen, where innovation and courage pay off for everyone involved thanks to a concept of public participation.”
The agri-solar park combines solar power production with agriculture on an area of 11 hectares. Both arable farming and grassland are planned between the rows of modules. Part of the site will be used for cattle farming, while crops such as spelt, oats, or buckwheat will be grown in the arable sections.With an annual output of around 4,800 MWh, the 4.3 MWp park can cover the electricity needs of around 1,400 households and at the same time promote climate-resilient agriculture. Farmer Wolfram Wiggert expressed his satisfaction with a solution that benefits everyone: “The Agri-PV system brings us a step closer to the energy transition in Löffingen without losing fields and meadows for our farm.”
With the Agri-Solarpark Löffingen, the Next2Sun Group is once again underlining its role as market and technology leader in the field of vertical photovoltaics. At the request of farmer Wolfram Wiggert, the row spacing between the modules was set at 13.5 meters in order to make the best possible agricultural use of the area. In order to maximize the electricity yield even with this generous spacing, it was decided to install three modules on top of each other for the majority of the module rows. The development department used its technical expertise to overcome the associated challenges, particularly the increased wind loads. “With the three-row system, we can adapt our systems even more specifically to the needs of agriculture while remaining economical,” emphasizes Next2Sun CEO Heiko Hildebrandt.
Mayor Tobias Link was proud of the realization of the project in the region, which enabled all citizens of Löffingen to participate thanks to attractive public participation: “Regenerative energy generation, food production and regional value creation were combined in the planning of this Agri-PV system. With this plant, the town of Löffingen is once again taking an innovative approach to future issues.”
The opening of the Agri-Solar Park is another important milestone on the path to a climate-friendly future and demonstrates once again how decentralized energy generation can be successfully implemented while considering all interests.
About Next2Sun
Next2Sun is the innovator and technology leader in vertical bifacial photovoltaics. The basic concept of vertically installed, bifacial solar modules allows solar power production to be shifted to times of otherwise low availability and avoids the overbuilding of agricultural land. For the success of the energy transition, this means fewer conflicts of use, better coverage of electricity demand and lower storage requirements. Next2Sun has developed a wide range of products based on vertical bifacial plant technology and the patented frame system developed for it and brought them to market maturity, in particular the vertical bifacial Agri-PV system and the bifacial solar fence. As the market leader, Next2Sun now offers solutions for a wide range of applications in the agricultural, public, commercial and private sectors.
About Haslachhof
Farming on 470 hectares, a herd of mother cows and a biogas plant with a flexible output of 2.6 megawatts – the Haslachhof organic farm is a real mixed operation. For example, over 90 percent of the substrate for the biogas plant comes from the farm’s own land. The biogas plant covers the electricity needs of around 4,000 inhabitants of the nearby town of Löffingen. The waste heat from the plant is fed 100 percent into the town’s local heating network. On his arable land, Wolfram Wiggert uses a three-year-old clover-alfalfa mixture for the biogas plant, which also improves soil fertility. He also grows cereals such as oats, spelt and einkorn. Wiggert now uses some of the land for unusual crops such as millet, buckwheat and camelina because they cope particularly well with the increasingly dry conditions in spring and summer The cows of the robust Black Forest breed Hinterwälder are kept in an open barn with a spacious exercise area and pasture close to the farm. In 2019, a flower sponsorship project was launched to create flower strips and areas, in which 13 companies in the region are now involved. Haslachhof is also involved in a research project to promote wild bees.
Image 1: Ceremonial opening of the Agri-Solarpark Löffingen (from left to right) Martina Braun (Member of the Baden-Württemberg Parliament), Katrin Heuzard de la Couture (GLS Bank), Nadyne Saint-Cast (Member of the Baden-Württemberg Parliament), Hans-Peter Behrens (Member of the Baden-Württemberg Parliament), Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter (Member of the Baden-Württemberg Parliament), Cem Özdemir (Federal Minister of Agriculture), Wolfram Wiggert (Farm Manager), Martha Wiggert, Chantal Kopf (Member of Parliament), Eva Wiggert, Jakob Wiggert, Sascha Krause-Tünker (CEO Next2Sun AG), Heiko Hildebrandt (CEO Next2Sun AG)
