New BfN research project “Potentials and nature conservation effects of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems on agricultural peatlands” at the Institute for Energy, Environmental and Maritime Law.

In collaboration with the Institute for Ecological Research and Planning GmbH (biota, led by Dr. Dr. Dietmar Mehl), the Institute for Energy, Environmental and Maritime Law has raised around €300,000 for the implementation of the BfN research project “Potentials and nature conservation effects of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems on agricultural peatland soils”. The research project is scheduled to run for around two years. The construction of peatland photovoltaic systems has the potential to rewet peatlands while simultaneously generating renewable electricity. Such multifunctional areas can store CO₂, produce renewable electricity and at the same time be used for agriculture to a certain extent. “In addition to a wide range of scientific and socio-economic issues, it is necessary to examine from a legal perspective what approval requirements and funding opportunities exist for such peatland PV systems under current law and how they can be controlled in future under planning law — in particular the competing uses they create,” says Prof. Dr. Sabine Schlacke, Managing Director of the Institute for Energy, Environmental and Maritime Law (IfEUS).