The municipality of Unterföhring in the district of Munich should make full use of its possibilities and quickly become as independent as possible when it comes to power supply. This is what the SPD faction in the municipal council is calling for, together with FDP representative Veit Wisswesser, and they also have concrete proposals for this: Local politicians see some scope for sensible investments, particularly in the area of photovoltaics, both on the part of the municipality and among private individuals.
“The political situation has increased the pressure again,” says SPD parliamentary group leader Philipp Schwarz. When it comes to heat supply, local politicians see Unterföhring as already well positioned with the municipal supplier Geovol and its geothermal energy. But the goal must also be self-sufficiency in the area of power supply, says Schwarz. With a bundle of five applications, the FDP and SPD want to show a way to get there.
The local politicians are trying to get the whole community on board. On the one hand, private individuals with roof areas suitable for photovoltaics according to the solar cadastre should be written to and informed about the benefits and funding opportunities of a system. It is about the self-use of electricity. Schwarz and Wisswesser hope to increase the number of solar systems from the current 130. In addition, the local politicians propose municipal funding for mini-PV systems that can be installed on the balcony, analogous to the existing funding program for e-bikes.
On the other hand, the applicants hold the municipality responsible. This should examine on which municipal roof areas and sealed areas photovoltaics would be possible and develop a concept for this. Think, for example, of the multi-storey car park next to the hotel “The K,” says Schwarz. The applicants are also talking about solar systems over agricultural land, so-called agri-PV systems. Here, too, the municipality should explore possibilities together with local farmers. Last but not least, the administration should check whether Geovol could also lease roof areas as a new line of business in order to install photovoltaics there.
The energy concept could be expanded in the future, says Wisswesser, for example to include wind or hydropower or further expansion of geothermal energy. The aim is to create a jolt in energy policy in order to position the municipality for the future. The applicants also encourage exchanges with neighboring municipalities. “We mustn’t think under the hood,” demands Schwarz.