Brief summary:

As part of the energy transition, Germany aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. A key component in reaching this goal is the expansion of photovoltaic (PV) systems, which requires the use of previously untapped land potentials to ensure an environmentally and socially sustainable transition. The German stone and earth industry includes around 3,400 companies and produces approximately 560 million tons of primary raw materials annually, such as sand, gravel, and crushed natural stone. Many of these sites offer areas like slopes, conveyor belts, facility roofs, stockpiles, and quarry lakes that are suitable for ground-mounted, floating, or special PV systems.

Beyond contributing to climate protection, PV expansion also offers operational benefits. Extraction companies can use their own sites to generate part of their electricity demand. When designing a PV system, company-specific consumption data is used to ensure the system is optimally sized. Typically, PV systems pay for themselves within four to eight years and can lead to significant long-term savings in energy costs.