A photovoltaic (PV) system designed by the subsidiary HEITEC Innovations GmbH has been installed on the roof of the HEITEC headquarters in Erlangen. With the 136 PV modules, HEITEC intends to cover around a fifth of the electricity consumption at the Erlangen site, thus taking a further step towards a more environmentally friendly future.
HEITEC Innovations GmbH has been part of the HEITEC Group since 2005 and has focussed its activities on the development of data-driven simulation models for sustainable energy systems since 2020. Numerous customers already rely on the innovative solutions in the fields of electricity, heating, cooling and hydrogen.
Equipping the company's own premises in Güterbahnhofstraße in Erlangen with an efficient photovoltaic (PV) system was therefore just the next logical step. After two years of intensive planning, the 136 modules have now been installed and will soon be connected to the grid.
Environmentally friendly operation of energy-intensive server systems for industry
The PV system on the roof of the HEITEC site in the centre of Erlangen has a maximum output of 55.08 kWp. The electricity sustainably generated in this way can be used 100 per cent for the company's own consumption. "HEITEC operates large server systems for our simulation and automation services at the Erlangen site. Our fleet of electric cars is also growing continuously and needs to be charged. These systems are now supplied with self-generated solar energy. HEITEC is not only promoting the energy transition among its customers, but is also living it itself," explains Dr Jochen Lorz, Managing Director of HEITEC Innovations GmbH.
The subsidiary of HEITEC Holding was responsible for the preliminary planning and design of the PV system. Simulations were carried out to optimise the alignment and number of modules in order to ensure the highest possible self-sufficiency rate for the electricity generated. Thanks to the ingenious system, the latter is now 98.9 per cent.
In total, the system produces 59.9 MWh per year, covering almost 20 per cent of the electricity consumption at the Erlangen site. The system has already amortised economically in just four years. In addition to the financial benefits, photovoltaic modules can serve as a showcase project for customers of HEITEC Innovations GmbH.
The project also represents another important step in HEITEC's sustainability strategy: Together with its subsidiaries, the industrial company is committed to an ecological future in a variety of ways - be it in the form of sustainable solutions for its industrial customers or with its own initiatives such as the reuse of old appliances or the energy optimisation of its sites.
