The photovoltaic system operates on a former demolition range of the French Army and saves 2,100 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
EnBW Solar GmbH has operated the 4.4-hectare solar farm in Kenzingen, Germany since 2016. The roughly 9,900 photovoltaic modules and the powerful Delta-M50A inverters provide 2.62 megawatts of peak power and enough electricity to supply an average of 850 homes. The owners of Solarpark Kenzingen GmbH are Necker-Elektrizitätsverband (NEV) (85 %), a regional utility co-operative comprising 167 towns and cities in nine counties, EnBW (10 %), and Kenzingen Regenerativ GmbH & Co. KG (5 %), a citizen action project of Ökostromgruppe Freiburg, a group that promotes green electricity. As the EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) firm for the project, EnBW assumed responsibility for the direct marketing and technical management of the solar park.
Solar farm puts brownfield site to good use
The French military used this 4.4-hectare parcel of land not far from the small town of Kenzingen as a demolition range from 1950 to 1988. Since the area is contaminated with the remains of explosive ordinance, the city was forced to change its plans to allow agricultural use of the land. In 2013, members of the electrical co-op from Kenzingen and surrounding communities decided to reclaim the property and use it for the construction of a photovoltaic installation. Now the parcel can serve a valuable, long-term purpose by producing green electricity. The project is also helping a rural area make progress towards its energy transition and has even involved local residents through its ownership structure.
