Installing photovoltaic systems could save more than 294 tons of CO2 annually in Waghäusel

Wirsol Roof Solutions, a DCC Energy business, has installed photovoltaic (PV) systems with a total output of 587kWH on eight public buildings of the city of Waghäusel in the Rhine Valley, Germany. The systems will generate a similar amount of electricity to a small power plant and were built as part of a leasing model.

Located in the Wiesental district of Germany, the town of Waghäusel has had a total of 1,432 photovoltaic modules installed across eight systems. This can generate approximately 630,000 kWH electricity per year. The buildings only consume 133,886 kWH per year, and this creates a surplus of 496,419 kWH, which can be fed into the electricity grid. Installing PV systems on the municipal roofs could save more than 294 tons of CO2 annually, and the systems are supplemented by battery storage systems with a total capacity of 192 kilowatt hours. This will increase profitability and ensure greater supply reliability.

 “We have already actively supported the city with our expert knowledge in the run-up to plant planning. The electrical installation and structures on site were sometimes very complex. Despite this, we have now improved our renewable energy beyond the norm in Germany. With the plants, the city achieves maximum efficiency and power generation capacity,” explains Johannes Groß, Managing Director of Wirsol Roof Solutions.

“Our lease model is particularly attractive to municipalities and is also open to other cities and municipalities that want to advance photovoltaic expansion,” continues Johannes Groß.

The largest photovoltaic area was created on the roof of the Rainbowland Kindergarten in Kirrlach. In addition, several other local schools were equipped with PV systems and thus supplied with green electricity into the future. The same applies to the employment office and the fire station in Wiesental.

“As the hottest city in Germany, we feel we have a greater demand do something about climate change. With the eight PV systems on municipal roofs, it is a significant step towards climate-neutral energy generation for our own properties. We still had catching up to do here. The cooperation with Wirsol has been very good, so we were able to launch a solar initiative together. Wirsol has built the plants and will operate them. With various solar projects, we will continue to move forward in this path in the future," said Lord Mayor Thomas Deuschle.

Cost advantages for the city and important economic factor

In addition to the economic factors, the two partners are making a major contribution for the common good by feeding in electricity surpluses and reducing CO2 emissions. The city of Waghäusel achieves annual lease income for the roofs through the lease model and benefits from the significantly decreasing electricity procurement costs for the respective facilities through a low electricity price. No planning or investment costs will be charged for the municipality and the city treasury will have a high five-digit amount additionally available in the future. Through the cooperation of the city with Wirsol as a local provider, the partnership will remain for many years to come.