New energy in northern Germany
There is a spirit of optimism when it comes to energy: “We would like to reduce our electricity costs and it’s good for the environment,” says Matthias Fischer, President of GC Hamburg-Ahrensburg, explaining the reasons for installing the photovoltaic system. He speaks for a whole series of other golf clubs that have decided to take the same step. From Husum to Hamburg, planning, calculations, and installation take place. The topic of photovoltaics is keeping the golf courses busy. The club representatives we speak to about their projects all sound a little euphoric.
“Sure, we have,” says Ulrike Feilke at GC am Sachsenwald. The panels with an output of 29.92 kWp have been installed on the clubhouse roof since 2020. “The decision was made because we wanted to save electricity in the long term.” “We are already in the planning stage and are currently calculating the panels,” explains Heinz-Peter Gloistein from Mittelholstein GC Aukrug. “Everything is running smoothly,” is also the positive conclusion of Florian Fleischmann at Golf Club Husumer Bucht. One thing is certain: High up in northern Germany, where wind power already plays a major role as a renewable energy source in the public power supply, numerous golf courses have integrated photovoltaics into their energy supply.
There have always been pioneers: solar panels have been installed at Golf am Donner Kleve for years. At GC Gut Apeldör, owner Dieter Worms had a photovoltaic system installed back in 2010, which has a total output of 133 kWp. The electricity currently still flows entirely into the public grid, as a state subsidy program was in place for this type of installation in 2010. “But after 20 years, it will run out, and then I will fully use my own electricity,” the owner explains. In recent years, he has not changed anything about the panels; he only cleans them regularly to maintain their efficiency.
Independence is an important goal
However, the situation is completely different for new photovoltaic installations than it was 15 years ago: Here, golf courses are concerned with independence from the state power supply and covering their own electricity requirements. According to Norbert Prigge, groundsman at GC Großensee, who has been dealing with this issue for several years, approximately 100,000 KWh are needed to cover the entire clubs requirements. However, the installation of the system, which will have an output of 193.6 kWp, is not yet fully connected, as Großensee has also learned about the pitfalls of the new technology.
Non-profit golf-clubs such as Großensee or GC Hamburg-Ahrensburg are not allowed to feed surplus electricity into the grid in order not to jeopardize their non-profit status. “The surplus electricity then goes up in smoke,” summarizes President Fischer, who no longer understands the German energy transition at this point. Prigge and his fellow board members felt the same way.
They really want to make use of the 800 square meters of roof space on the depot and sell electricity, which is why they founded a limited company and battled through legal formalities for a long time.
Anyone who talks to Fischer and Prigge realizes that in the course of installing a photovoltaic system, voluntary board members also take part in a kind of tax and energy course.
Questions about roof statics also suddenly arise, the need to renovate roofs or the issue of laying really thick power lines. “It was much more complicated than we thought,” summarizes Fischer.
Nevertheless, the system now produces around 65,000 kWh.
When does storage make sense?
At GC Büsum Dithmarschen, where the new photovoltaic system has just been installed, the question of storage has also been addressed. “With 44 kWp, we cover our entire electricity consumption, but we are still waiting on the storage issue. We first have to see how consumption really works in the first year,” says Club Manager Ralph Münchow, analyzing the situation.
There is also still a question mark over the installation of the e-charging stations. “As a pure service, this is a relatively high investment. We’ll have to wait and see.”
The switch to renewable energy can also be comparatively inexpensive and smaller golf courses can manage with less power. The GC Husumer Bucht operates with 30 kWp of power. The restaurant, proshop, administration and caddy hall are all powered by the club’s own energy.
A craftsman from the club installed the solar system at cost price. The electric robots on the driving range and on the fairways are powered by two small solar stations on the course.
Ingo Bernien, First Vice President at GC Gut Grambek, has also found that the photovoltaic system pays off: “We have an annual consumption of 100,000 kWh per year. The costs for this were around 30,000 euros per year.” After seven years, the new energy supply is profitable. “And what is very important to me is that we are becoming more independent and are well positioned for the future,” he concludes with satisfaction. With a system size of 99.8 kWp, two e-charging points were also installed immediately.
The clubs are sure to have the support of their members: “The vote at the general meeting was almost unanimous,” Fischer recalls with satisfaction. At GC Großensee, the shares in the financing of the system were quickly oversubscribed. “The members like it,” says Münchow from GC Büsum-Dithmarschen. The energy transition on golf courses in Schleswig-Holstein is in full swing. “That suits our sport,” says President Fischer. “After all, golf is an outdoor sport in the countryside.”
