Germany: Freiburg, breakthrough for climate neutrality. Diocese’s solar power plant is in operation

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The Archdiocese of Freiburg has ambitious plans to achieve climate neutrality: at the Catholic Congress Centre on the island of Reichenau on Lake Constance, the Archdiocese has connected its first large solar power plant to the local power grid. The investment costs amounted to €110,000 and the peak power output of the plant is about 100 kilowatts, as announced in a press release today. This will generate about 100,000 kilowatt-hours of solar energy per year. A further 60 photovoltaic installations are currently being planned on the roofs of church buildings throughout the region, including in the Land of Baden-Württemberg in south-west Germany. 45 new installations are expected to be operational by the end of 2025. The Archdiocese has established its own operating company for the design, construction and management of photovoltaic systems: the entire production chain is fully financed by the Archdiocese’s climate fund. The fund, which was set up in 2021 with church tax revenue, currently receives about €10 million per year; 80% of this amount is allocated to the photovoltaic programme. By 2035, a total of €120 million will be invested in the expansion of the solar power plant. “The proceeds from the sale of electricity go back to the management company, which reinvests them in further photovoltaic installations”, explains the project manager, Peter Schalk. According to those in charge of the project, similar installations are already in operation in the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. Further studies are being conducted at the national level, as suggested by the German Bishops’ Conference.

Fonte: Agensir