The Self-sufficient Energy House
This innovative house of HELMA Eigenheimbau Corporations with 162 square metres of living space was newly developed in the last two years under the direction of Professor Timo Leukefeld together with SunStrom.
The house draws its entire yearly energy requirement solely from the sun itself. Because of this, the entire south-facing roof is used: the solar heat plant in the upper part produces the thermal energy required, the solar electricity plant in the lower part produces the electrical energy required. What is exceptional about this is that both systems are equipped with appropriate storage technology in order to bridge over periods of scarce sunlight, and even periods of no sunlight at all. Thus, for the first time, you can be completely independent from the public power supply, and the energy footprints reached to date of ultra-low, zero or positive energy houses have been surpassed. Real self-sufficient energy has been achieved as the result.
SunStrom is primarily responsible for the concept of generating and storing solar electricity during the development of 'the self-sufficient energy house'. Solar modules from SOLARWATT were chosen for the aesthetically pleasing rooftop solar power system which has a capacity of 8.2 kWp.
The heating and the hot water supply of this residential building are not stream-based as often is the case (for example, with an electronically operated thermal pump), but instead they function with the aid of a solar thermal plant. In this way the entire solar electricity produced can be directly used for one's own employment of household appliances. Hence the so-called primary energy requirement (energy requirement of the entire housing technology) in the energy self-sufficient house comes to a total of around 1,500 kWh (kilowatts per hour) every year.
BOSCH Parking Garage
The solar power plant, installed by SunStrom on the rooftop of the distinctive BOSCH parking garage at Stuttgart’s state trade fair grounds (Messe Stuttgart), spans one of Germany’s busiest highways, the A8.
SunStrom, under contract by Bosch Solar Energy AG, began installation of the 970 kWp solar power plant for the Stuttgart Airport GmbH in September 2009, and completed the system in just 4 months. Each of the two parking garage “fingers” is outfitted with 8 rows consisting of over 2,000 mono crystalline Bosch solar power modules, for a total of 4,238 modules. The solar power plant will generate approx. 870,000 kWh of eco-friendly energy per year in an area of 7,000 square meters. This is enough energy to supply 250 four-person households annually with power.
The realization of the solar power plant was riddled with challenges. Architecturally, the parking garage’s two rooftops are three-dimensional masterpieces. The rooftops are sloped not only over the length of the building (max. 12.6% slope) but also over the width of the garage (max. 7% slope). The curvilinear rooftops required detailed and exact planning and installation of the system so as to avoid shading of the modules. Additionally, the foundations of the modules had to be specially designed and individually plumbed. During installation the highway remained open. It was essential that SunStrom ensure the safety of the automobile traffic passing under the construction site.
After successfully meeting the many challenges such an innovative project poses, the mark has been set for solar power projects in the future.
BOSCH Parking Garage-Reference sheet [PDF]
BMW World
The only of its kind customer and delivery center, BMW World in Munich/Germany, was recently completed and opened its doors to the public. BMW World in Munich, designed with a similar philosophy as the popular VW Gläsernen Manufaktur in Dresden/Germany, offers its guests not only the opportunity to experience the BMW brand, but also take in events, concerts and exhibitions.
SunStrom installed a building integrated photovoltaic system (BIPV) on the expansive roof area (ca. 16,000 sqm.) of BMW World. The roof integrated solar arrays have a total nominal power of 824 kWp and consist of 3,660 individual solar modules manufactured by SOLARWATT/Germany. The solar arrays were carefully arranged to provide a designer aerial view of the building’s “fifth façade,” seen not only by air traffic, but also by the visitors of the nearby Olympic Tower built for the 1972 Summer Olympics and the BMW Group Building known as the “4 Cylinder.” The placement of the modules and the pattern they created was of major architectural importance. The narrow access paths between the black, shimmering module rows are constructed of stainless steel panels and form together with the solar arrays a net-like pattern.
VON ARDENNE
VON ARDENNE is an international company, founded in Dresden/Germany and specializing in electron beam and plasma technologies. In recent years, the company has been expanding its expertise to involve thin film photovoltaic technology and architectural glass coatings.
SunStrom installed a 32 kWp photovoltaic system based on thin film technology developed at VON ARDENNE Anlagentechnik GmbH in Dresden/Germany on the building’s front facade. The project is an example of vanguard solar architectural design.
SDEA
In December of 2007, SunStrom installed a PV system on the facade of the SDEA Administration building in Troyes, France (Syndikat Départemental d’Energie de l’Aube – Subsidiary of the French public utility company EDF). The curved façade required exact planning and individual design of a mounting system from SunStrom. The solar modules, with a nominal power of 22.12 kWp serve a double function as sunshades. The modules produce annually approx. 18,800 kWh clean power while shading the building’s interior offices from the hot summer sun. The chosen modules from the German solar manufacturer SOLARWATT are double glass modules allowing diffuse sunlight through.
Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau – Atelier Offices
A 29 kWp building integrated photovoltaic system (BIPV) is installed on the street-side pitched roof of the building complex, which houses the European Headquarter of SunStrom. Annually, the solar array produces more environmentally friendly power than the tenants of the building consume. In addition, the system saves the environment approx. 15 tons of CO2 per year.
