Large open-air PV systems are the subject of great debate – especially in the months leading up to local council elections. However, there are several projects in the country which are already quite advanced. Currently the largest PV system has been installed in Punitz on an area of six hectares. However it is not activated yet. The out-of-town location is the main reason no one in Punitz has a problem with it, said Mayor Helmut Kopszki (ÖVP).
Lottery: Schattendorf . Wide acceptance of the project in
Something similar can be heard in Schattendorf. There, a 14-hectare Esterházy site in a depression on the border with Hungary is reserved for a solar park. The village is more than a kilometer away. A green belt is planned as a privacy screen. Mayor Johann Lauter (SPÖ) does not accept the argument that valuable arable land is being sealed. No area should be built or concreted, there would be a flower meadow and green space, and a shelter for small animals.
According to the mayor, this project is getting wide public support. Renewable energy was already included in the Gram Vikas Yojana in 2013 and was discussed at that time. People were also informed about this and a program was also organized in this regard. Overall, there were no major discussions as people were drawn accordingly, Lotter said.
Vipassing: The critics win
In Vipassing it was different. There, Energie Burgenland wanted to install a 52-hectare photovoltaic system under Hornstein’s direction. Project opponents pushed through a referendum, with a majority of the population speaking out against it. The project is now off the table, although the community could have dismissed the result.
First, it is about the destruction of beautiful landscapes, a cultural sphere, explained the referendum’s initiator Johann Cooper. Second, four million rolls could be produced from arable land that should have been “destroyed” for the project. According to Cooper, photovoltaics are an excellent technology that we fully recommend, but it must be used in the right places, such as mines and in already sealed areas such as parking lots and factory buildings.
Güssing. Dispute between the parties regarding the PV system employed in
In Gössing, a 127-hectare facility is planned on the Draskovic plain in the direction of Europa Dorf. The property has already been dedicated, confirmed Mayor Vinzenz Knorr (SPÖ). However, the OVP wants to reverse this and is preparing for a plebiscite. Photovoltaics Yes, but previously on roofs and built-up areas, is a major argument of project opponents.
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