Solar system installed on landfill site in Flechtdorf

Verbands-Energie-Werk Gesellschaft für Erneuerbare Energien mbH (VEW) completed the construction of its second ground-mounted photovoltaic plant in May. Managing Director Frank Benz, together with the First District Councillor of the Waldeck-Frankenberg district, Karl-Friedrich Frese, and the Mayor of the municipality of Diemelsee, Volker Becker, explained on 6 May how the project has now been successfully completed. Once commissioned, the plant will supply up to 280 households a year with electricity from renewable energies.

In 2020, the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg initiated plans to install a ground-mounted photovoltaic system on the recultivated area of the Diemelsee-Flechtdorf landfill site in order to promote the expansion of renewable energies. "With this project, the area near Flechtdorf is developing from a landfill site to a solar site," says Karl-Friedrich Frese, First District Councillor of the district. This means that the site can be put to a sensible subsequent use without using up agricultural land. "This is a sustainable contribution to the municipal energy transition in the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg."

Municipal backing for ground-mounted photovoltaics
Another important partner was the municipality of Diemelsee, which always backed the project and thus made an important contribution to the region and climate protection. The local authority had to change the land utilisation plan and thus create the legal planning requirements for the construction. Without this commitment, the project could not have been realised.

"What is being created here in Diemelsee makes us proud and shows what we can achieve together," emphasises Volker Becker, Mayor of the municipality of Diemelsee. "We already generate more than 10.5 times our own electricity requirements from renewable energies. With this plant, we are consistently moving forward for climate protection, for our children and for a future worth living in our region."

"The support of local authorities is essential for all of our projects. If the local authority is convinced that photovoltaics on suitable sites is a good and sustainable solution, then this gives us the necessary tailwind until implementation," explains VEW Managing Director Frank Benz, "all those involved deserve a big thank you for their excellent cooperation."

The plant consists of a total of 1,428 modules on an area of one hectare. The maximum installed output is 999.6 kilowatts. In optimal conditions with many hours of sunshine, the plant can generate around 980,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, enough for 280 households with an annual electricity requirement of 3,500 kilowatt hours.

"The final technical tests are currently being carried out and the system will then be commissioned," explains Marius Lange, authorised signatory at VEW, during the tour of the plant.

Best possible use of space
Just like VEW's first ground-mounted photovoltaic system in Korbach, which was connected to the grid six years ago, the modules in Flechtdorf are also located on a recultivated area of a landfill site. Areas of this type are hardly suitable for traditional uses such as residential or commercial, but offer great potential for the generation of renewable energies.

About VEW
Verbands-Energie-Werk Gesellschaft für Erneuerbare Energien mbH (VEW) was founded in December 2011 by the Zweckverband Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg. VEW has been a subsidiary of Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg GmbH (EWF) since 2023. VEW is managed by its parent company EWF. VEW's mission is to support the implementation of the federal government's decision on the energy transition in Germany in the Waldeck-Frankenberg region and the surrounding area. Its aim is to make a regional contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and phasing out nuclear power generation as well as conserving fossil energy resources for future generations. To this end, the company is guided by the principles of sustainability and economic efficiency.

Caption: (from left): VEW Managing Director Frank Benz, Mayor Volker Becker, EKB Karl-Friedrich Frese, Eugen Reger, Site Manager at Elektro Brüne, Jannick Funke, Head of the Waste Management Department, authorised signatory Marius Lange (VEW) and Katharina Pfeil (VEW) jointly presented the new system. (Photo: EWF)