Largest Photovoltaics Facility for Research and Self-Supply Built in Germany

The German Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is putting its theoretical findings in renewable energy and electric energy storage into practice by building the largest photovoltaics facility for self-consumption in Germany and produce energy from renewable sources for its own supply. In cooperation with German module manufacturer SOLARWATT, the new facility will also be used to study how service life and grid compatibility of photovoltaics systems can be enhanced.

“The photovoltaics facility for own consumption does not only represent a research project of KIT, it also marks the start of the energy turnaround for KIT’s own power supply,” says Professor Eberhard Umbach, President of KIT. “Moreover, this project makes sense from the economic point of view, as we are reducing our high power costs.”

“It is a primary mission of KIT to develop viable technologies and accelerate commercialization,” explains Dr. Peter Fritz, Vice President for Research and Innovation at KIT. “Thanks to cooperation with SOLARWATT, we can demonstrate reasonable integration of photovoltaics in the overall system. This is indispensable for the success of the energy turnaround.”

Increasing energy costs can be a big burden for many research institutions. This is particularly true for research using large-scale devices. This money is then lacking in the research budget for investments and staff. By using renewable energy sources, KIT can sustainably limit its power costs: In a first phase, photovoltaics modules of about 1 MW power will be installed in a matter of weeks and commissioned on the KIT premises by fall 2013. Over a period of one year, about 2% of KIT’s power consumption will be covered by this facility. In total, about EUR 1.5 million are invested. Annual costs for energy supply will be reduced by about EUR 200,000. The facility will have a service life of about 20 years, and can thus be expected to save more than three times the money that was invested.

In cooperation with SOLARWATT, a solar module field laboratory will be established. Solar modules of the latest state of the art will be installed, such as glass-glass modules, and studied in respect to their energy yield and aging behavior under real operation conditions.

Research will also focus on how the angle of inclination and direction of the modules influences the production of solar power. It is aimed at developing regenerative energy systems of increased energy efficiency and longer service life of up to 30 years. Both factors contribute to further reducing the cost of solar power.

“Photovoltaics is only one element of an entirely regenerative energy system for Germany, which stores electric power, supplies it in a need-tailored manner, and hence, reduces grid load,” explains project manager Wollersheim. Now, KIT possesses a unique infrastructure, in which novel electricity storage systems, intelligent power electronics, and system controls can be studied, developed together with German industry partners, and tested under real operation conditions.