Königssee goes solar: Bavaria's largest photovoltaic carport opens!

Königssee goes solar: Bavaria's largest photovoltaic carport opens!

The parking lot at Königssee has attracted a lot of attention since last summer with the new photovoltaic carport system, which includes 270 parking spaces and provides a roof area of ​​4,700 square meters. This system is considered the largest photovoltaic carport system with public charging infrastructure in Bavaria. The opening was celebrated by the community of Schönau and Watzmann Natur Energie GmbH (WNE). In April, the largest solar carport in Bavaria was put into operation near Bad Wörishofen, which features an impressive 22,000 solar modules and 2,160 parking spaces Süddeutsche.de reported.

The new facility at Königssee has drawn extensive attention to the challenges and benefits of using solar energy. Although ground-mounted photovoltaic systems are less popular than wind turbines, there are concerns, especially among young people, about the destruction of the landscape and the consumption of arable land. The carport system, located in sensitive mountain landscapes, uses already sealed ground and thus enjoys a more environmentally friendly footprint.

Electricity production and e-charging stations

The solar panels of the new carport system have been producing electricity for several weeks, most of which is used for the charging infrastructure for electric cars. At Königssee, 62 vehicles can currently be charged at the same time, and the municipality has already indicated plans to expand the charging options. In Bad Wörishofen, part of the electricity generated is even fed directly into the rides of a theme park, while the larger part flows into the general power grid.

The demand for electric cars is increasing, despite the announced cuts in government subsidies. These vehicles do not require a combustion engine and do not produce any harmful emissions while driving. How KlarSolar.de As it turns out, 90 percent of electric car owners are able to easily charge their vehicles with electricity from their own photovoltaic system. For example, a 10 kWp PV system can charge a Tesla Model 3 for around 42 kilometers. Modern charging technologies such as “Smart Charging”, which make it possible to cover 90 percent of the charging time with solar power, are ideal.

Renewable energies in Germany

The photovoltaic share in Bavaria is part of a broader trend in Germany, where renewable energies accounted for 22.4 percent of gross final energy consumption in 2024, an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared to the previous year, according to Umweltbundesamt.de. By 2030 it should even reach 41 percent. Photovoltaics has established itself as one of the most important renewable energy sources and contributed 74.1 billion kWh to electricity generation in 2024, an impressive increase of 16 percent compared to the previous year.

The development of renewable energies has led to a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. In 2024, 256 million tons of CO₂ equivalents were avoided, with 80 percent saved through electricity generation from renewable sources. Trotz dieser positiven Entwicklungen betonen Landschaftsforscher wie Sören Schöbel die Notwendigkeit, Freiflächen-PV ansprechend zu gestalten und die wertvollen Flächen der Natur zu schützen. Agri-PV systems that enable agricultural use could represent a promising solution for land use.