ersol, Stuttgart Airport Management Company Start Construction of a Solar Power Plant

Aug. 24, 2009 marks the start of construction on a 955 kWp rooftop photovoltaic plant on the Bosch parking structure at New Trade Fair Centre, Stuttgart, by ersol Solar Energy AG (ersol), a member of the Bosch Group, and Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH (Airport Management Company). Soon 4,247 monocrystalline solar modules extending over an area of about 7,000 m² will be generating 870,000 kWh of “green” electricity per year. This will cover the annual energy needs of about 250 four-person households.

For the first time, the Thuringia-based company is acting as general contractor for large-scale photovoltaics projects, being responsible for the construction of the power plant from the planning stage to turnkey handover. With the pilot project ersol is at the same time heralding in the Bosch era. The decision to rename the company was finalized at its annual general meeting only a short time ago.

“This is an exceptional reference project for the future Bosch Solar Energy AG,” said Holger von Hebel, CEO of ersol, “Bosch acquired the rights to display its name on the parking structure, thus supporting the construction of the New Trade Fair Centre, Stuttgart. Europe’s largest Bosch logo, with a width of 55 meters and a height of eight meters, already embellishes the sides of the parking structure. This will be accompanied by a rooftop solar plant consisting of Bosch modules which can contribute to the power supply for illuminating the lettering.”

The ersol planning team will be faced with special construction challenges, as the roofs of the six-story car park are aligned three-dimensional and thus, not straight. In the future, eight rows of solar modules will stand on each of the structure’s two fingers. Special foundations with specifically designed holders will give the plant the required stability and guarantee long life.

The Bosch parking structure is in close proximity to Stuttgart Airport. “We are playing an exemplary role,” explained Walter Schoefer, director of Flughafen GmbH, “With the construction of the photovoltaic plant we want to set a visible sign for an environmentally-friendly energy policy. We are delighted to have the support of a strong partner out of the Bosch Group for this pioneering project.”

The solar power plant is scheduled to be connected to the grid until December 2009. It is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 575 tons annually.