PV Project Fully Uses Own Power Production, no EEG Subsidies Required
Canadian Solar Inc.(the "Company" or "Canadian Solar") (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world's largest solar companies, provided the solar modules for one of Europe's largest skiing halls. The PV rooftop installation on the alpincenter in Hamburg-Wittenburg, Germany, uses Canadian Solar modules with a total output of 3.6 MW. The winter sports center's operator reaps a double benefit: using the self-produced solar power significantly offsets energy costs while at the same time reducing the power needed to run the cooling system thank to the shadowing effect underneath the solar system.
The owner, the Dutch Van der Valk Group, was facing the challenge of significantly reducing the energy costs for operating the building, which features 30,000 m² of ski slopes. Installing the structure-mounted rooftop system allows to operate the facility during 365 days a year, using only the self-generated power. This makes the operators independent from the public grid and EEG subsidies. A side benefit of the PV system: the shadow it produces on the roof results in a 50 percent lower surface temperature. This drastically reduces the load on the cooling technology which keeps the indoor temperature at -1 degree Celsius throughout the year, translating into lower energy consumption. The project was planned and implemented by Hamburg-based project company Dr. Metje Consulting.
"For a rooftop system of this scale, efficiency and quality of the modules are paramount. Particularly for the alpincenter Hamburg-Wittenburg, which wanted to completely cover their energy demand by the self-produced power, performance losses are not tolerable," said Dr. Christian Metje of Dr. Metje Consulting.
"Projects like the alpincenter Hamburg-Wittenburg are the future of solar energy: PV systems that cover the facility's complete energy demand and that do not depend on public subsidies. It is a particular proof of photovoltaic efficiency that a winter sports center – which needs great amounts of energy - uses solar power. We are therefore extremely proud our modules are now deployed in Wittenburg," said Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar.