Prince Albert of the house of Thurn und Taxis wants to build what would be the world's largest solar park on his lands. But the plans have angered residents who don't want to live next to a sea of solar panels.

By James Kyle

While Bavarian Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis is more widely known for his enthusiasm for exhaust-spewing race cars, the 26-year-old is showing a decidedly green streak these days, although not everyone is happy with the new color.

Albert, the world's youngest billionaire according to Forbes magazine, wants to take some 482 acres of farmland owned by his family in Bavaria and build a huge solar park that could, at peak times, generate up to 65 megawatts of electricity.

Former monopoly-holders of Europe's postal services, the Thurn und Taxis family are today considering investing 115 million euros ($165 million) in a 21st Century service: green electricity that could power some 16,000 households.

Another 26 hectares of land belonging to a local municipality would also be made available for solar module construction, making this the world's biggest solar park to date.

The land in this part of Lower Bavaria, according to family spokesman Stephan Stehl, is ideal for such a project. It is relatively flat and is one of Germany's sunniest regions.

The solar park would also help Germany reduce its reliance on foreign sources of power.
"Locally produced power keeps the value that comes from energy production here at home," Albert told Deutsche Welle.

"Right now, the money spent on oil and gas from Russia or Saudi Arabia creates value there, but not in this region."
It would also generate a nice income stream for the family, which could earn around 18 million euros a year from electricity sales.

Clouds on the horizon

Despite Germans' general enthusiasm for renewable sources of energy like solar and wind power, a cloud is appearing on the horizon.
The small town of Feldkirchen, with a population of just under 2,000, has become a thorn in the nobleman's side.

Residents say they don't want to see their bucolic landscape covered with miles of glass solar modules.

Feldkirchen Mayor Barbara Unger has led a campaign to stop the prince's panels, which would begin around 1200 feet  north of her town.

Standing in front of a broad expanse of wheat and sugar-beet fields, she said the solar project would significantly lower residents' quality of life.
"Just look at this beautiful landscape right on the Danube in one of the most fertile parts of Germany," she said. "We're going to lose all this farmland to solar panels and residents are worried about the value of their homes, because those values will fall."

She and Feldkirchen residents started a petition to "keep our home the way it has always been."
She added that so far residents' concerns have been pretty much ignored. 

Germany's solar sector is booming right now, and the country is considered a global leader in the solar field, which provides jobs for about 80,000 people.

Courtesy Deutsche Welle