PRESS RELEASE
Messe Berlin - Start of construction for Germany's third largest rooftop solar system with VODASUN and Berliner Stadtwerke
Author: Raul Nitu
CMO
Berlin, 11 October 2023 – The official start of construction of Germany’s third-largest rooftop solar plant began in the presence of representatives from politics, business and public life.
Messe Berlin is installing a 50,000 m² solar system on the roofs of the grounds at the radio tower, which is the size of 7 football pitches and has a peak output of 8.5 megawatts. The total area is spread over more than 20 roofs. 20,000 solar modules from the Hi-MO X6 series from global PV market leader LONGi Solar will be installed. The installation will be carried out by the VODASUN Group, a photovoltaic specialist based in Munich. After the planned full commissioning in 2025, Messe Berlin will save around 2900 tonnes of CO2 per year. The aim is to make Messe Berlin’s major events climate-neutral in future.
Press conference Messe Berlin: Dr Kerstin Busch, CEO of Stadtwerke Berlin, Dipl.-Kfm. Christoph Glamert, Head of Sales VODASUN, Franziska Giffey, Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises and Dr Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin.
Most of the electricity produced is used for sustainable trade fair operations
The solar plant will produce around 8.5 GWh of electricity per year, which corresponds to the consumption of 3,666 two-person households. 80 per cent of the electricity produced will be used on the exhibition grounds and 20 per cent will be fed into the Berlin power grid. In this way, the trade fair is reducing its CO2 footprint and making a decisive contribution to the energy transition in Berlin.
“With the Hi-MO X6, Messe Berlin is getting our most climate-friendly and at the same time most powerful module with back-contact technology. This advanced technology allows end users to generate more electricity on the same surface area. This is partly due to the fact that the contacts are located on the back, which means that the module does not self-shade compared to those of other manufacturers,” says Christian Keasler, Sales Manager DACH at LONGi Solar.
Jakob Katzendobler, Chief Executive Officer of the VODASUN Group, adds: “It is a great honour for us to contribute to Berlin’s sustainability. This project is another milestone for us and our mission to drive forward the energy transition. For large-scale projects like this to run smoothly, reliable partners and products are always needed. We are therefore looking forward to working with Berliner Stadtwerke, Messe Berlin and LONGi Solar in the coming months.”
Sustainable and economical back-contact solar modules for Berlin's energy transition
The solar system with modules from LONGi not only improves Messe Berlin’s climate neutrality, but also its economic efficiency thanks to its particularly low production costs. The production costs put the investment and operating costs in relation to the energy yield.
The Hi-MO X6 is based on the highly efficient HPBC back-contact cell technology developed by LONGi. Visually, it differs significantly from other modules without back-contact technology because no wiring or circuitry is visible on the front. This is not only more aesthetic, but also improves the incidence of light on the module. As more light hits the cells, more energy is generated at the same time. The energy yield of the Hi-MO X6 is 6 to 10 % higher compared to alternative modules. The maximum cell efficiency of the Hi-MO X6 with back contact technology is 25.5 %. The high level of efficiency also has financial benefits in the medium and long term. The module thus sets new standards in the market for rooftop systems, for which it was specially developed.
The CEO of LONGi, Baoshen Zhong, said in September 2023: “In the midst of the “terawatt era”, the PV industry is once again facing a drastic technological change. Over the next five to six years, back-contact solar cells, known for their high efficiency and aesthetics, will quickly become the dominant technology in the photovoltaic industry.”
About VODASUN
The Munich-based VODASUN® Group has been planning, building and operating turnkey photovoltaic systems throughout Germany since 2011. VODASUN has established itself as a leading provider in the industry with its comprehensive range of services, which extends from the installation and commissioning of small systems to the management of complex large-scale systems in the megawatt range. The group of companies offers its customers customised solutions from a single source and attaches great importance to first-class engineering and the use of high-quality components in order to maximise the yield and longevity of the systems.
About LONGi and LONGi Solar
LONGi Solar is one of the largest solar technology companies in the world. LONGi has led the international rankings by module delivery volume since 2020. The company is a subsidiary of LONGi Green Energy Technology (LONGi), which was founded in 2000. LONGi employs over 60,000 people worldwide and operates more than 30 sites and 30 production facilities. The head office of LONGi Europe is located in Frankfurt am Main. With its five business divisions, which include monosilicon wafers, cells and modules, decentralised solar solutions for commercial and industrial applications, green energy solutions and hydrogen systems, the company aims to drive forward the development towards a CO2-free world.
Since 2021, LONGi has broken the world record for the highest cell efficiency across different technologies 14 times in a row. In 2022, LONGi set a new world record for the efficiency of P-type HJT silicon solar cells with 26.81 %. The results were confirmed by the German Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH) in Hamelin.
LONGi is the first Chinese solar manufacturer to join the three major climate protection initiatives RE100, EP100 and EV100. As part of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), LONGi has set itself the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all business areas and in production by 60 per cent by 2030 compared to 2020 levels.
Further information:www.longi.com/de
About Messe Berlin
Berlin has been a trade fair centre for 200 years and has been one of the most important in the world for many decades. As a state-owned trade fair company, Messe Berlin designs, markets and organises hundreds of live events every year. The aim is to be an outstanding host to visitors at all events, to provide the best possible business impetus and to ensure fair conditions for everyone. This self-image is reflected in the company motto: Messe Berlin – Hosting the World.
Further information: www.messe-berlin.de
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Raul Nitu
Chief Marketing Officer
E-Mail: presse@vodasun.de
Mobil: +49 (0)160 95266647
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