Ørsted energizes German solar park, complementing nearby onshore wind fleet

• Ørsted commissioned an 11.5-MWp solar park in south-eastern Germany near an existing wind farm, creating a hybrid cluster that smooths output and boosts grid value.

Ørsted has commissioned an 11.5-MWp ground-mounted solar park in south-eastern Germany, strategically located next to one of its onshore wind sites. The pairing exemplifies a pragmatic hybrid approach sweeping across Europe: combine technologies with different generation profiles to raise capacity-factor, reduce curtailment risk, and offer grid operators a more manageable output shape.

The new array employs bifacial modules on single-axis trackers to squeeze production from diffuse light and shoulder-season sun, while leveraging shared access roads and substation infrastructure to keep capex lean. Co-location trims transmission losses and eases permitting, and unified SCADA lets dispatchers coordinate wind and solar responses to voltage and frequency events—capabilities system operators increasingly require as renewable penetration grows.

While a battery is not part of the initial build, the site has been engineered with future storage in mind. A multi-hour BESS would shift midday solar into evening peaks, firm wind lulls, and monetize ancillary services such as fast frequency response and synthetic inertia through grid-forming inverters. Even without storage, the complementary profiles—solar by day, wind often strongest at night or in winter—deliver a smoother net output than either asset alone.

For Ørsted, the project deepens a German footprint that spans offshore wind, onshore wind, and now utility-scale PV, matching the company’s strategic tilt toward integrated clean-energy platforms. For local communities, the hybrid cluster brings construction and O&M jobs, business-rates income, and biodiversity measures like species-rich grasslands and hedgerow planting around the site perimeter.

Germany’s energy transition now hinges as much on system design as on capacity additions. Hybrid sites that share interconnections and deliver controllable, grid-supportive power are one way to stretch scarce grid headroom while accelerating decarbonisation. Ørsted’s latest commissioning adds a modest but meaningful piece to that puzzle—proof that thoughtful siting and technology mix can elevate the value of every installed megawatt.