E ON : 500 students to receive solar energy

About 500 students in Paderborn will soon be able to use solar energy in their apartments. Studierendenwerk Paderborn is currently fitting a student village with PV panels. A nursery school located on the same premises will also benefit. The partner company supporting Studierendenwerk Paderborn with its technical expertise for the challenging planning process and the implementation of this project is the local energy company E.ON, which has strong roots in the region.

The roofs of the 30 or so buildings will be equipped with solar panels with a total capacity of 347 kilowatt-peak (kWp). Theoretically, these panels can generate up to 370,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which is enough to meet the needs of almost 150 households.

'The PV system will be designed for on-site use of the electricity generated,' explains Sebastian Eisenberg who is in charge of E.ON Energie Deutschland's solar business. Whenever there is sunshine, the electricity produced by the panels is primarily used for the student apartments. 'About 60 percent of the buildings' demand can be met directly by the panels installed on the roofs. This way students will benefit from a sustainable and ecological energy solution,' Sebastian Eisenberg says.
For any excess electricity fed into the grid, the Studierendenwerk will receive the legally guaranteed feed-in tariff. The system is thus designed to provide maximum benefit to the students.

'We are delighted that we will not only make our student apartments more sustainable and provide a major contribution to the environment but that we can also significantly reduce our energy costs in the long term,' says Albert Flore, Head of Facility Management at Studierendenwerk Paderborn.

Given its layout and the favorable direction of the roofs, the building complex is ideally suited for the generation of solar power. The work, which started in March, is scheduled to be completed during the second quarter of 2017. At the same time, the Studierendenwerk will carry out energy-efficiency improvements to the buildings and turn the shared flats, which housed 4 students until now, into one-room apartments. There will also be a new building providing accommodation for another 79 students.

www.stwpb.de

For many years, E.ON has been developing solar products and services tailored to their customer's specific needs. The range of services includes the design, installation, maintenance and servicing of solar systems for residential and business applications. As an energy supplier with years of expertise, E.ON takes care of every stage of the project delivery process. The company also supplies millions of customers across Germany with power and gas. For more information, go to www.eon.de.