Solar Energy

With a total surface of more than 1,000 square meters, the solar plant generates around 120,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This would sufficiently cover the needs of almost the same number of additional accommodations, which is why these buildings are called Plus Energy houses. Their occupants simply feed this electricity into the public power grid. Similar to the way it is in Germany, operators receive compensation of between 49 and 60 euro cents per kilowatt hour. As a result, the additional costs incurred to build the colony can be completely recovered rather quickly. Gemeinnützige Siedlungsgenossenschaft Elin GmbH, the construction company, even estimates that the operators of the solar modules will begin to earn money in about ten years.

The solar modules from SCHOTT that the Austrian builder elected to use have won numerous awards. They consist of quadratic cells that are imbedded inside hardened double glass. This means a long lifetime and protects them from extreme weather conditions. The modules function in the summer, even at temperatures up to 90 degrees Celsius, and in the winter at minus 40 degrees. Although they are only around one centimeter thick, these modules can stand up to snow loads of more than half a ton per square meter or hailstones. Furthermore, the stabile aluminum frame and connectors and cable that are pre-installed by SCHOTT Solar ensure a quick and easy installation.