Low module prices combined with innovative solutions for the on-site consumption of solar power are making rooftop photovoltaic installations attractive even for large housing developments and industrial roofs. Intersolar Europe 2012 presents the latest trends and technologies in photovoltaics.
As a result of the increasing scarcity of fossil fuels and the volatile political situations in countries where they are mined, energy prices have risen steadily over the past few years, and will likely continue to do so in future. By contrast, progressively cheaper photovoltaic solutions offer lucrative investment incentives as well as opportunities for the on-site consumption of independently generated power. According to the Berlin-based German Solar Industry Association (BSW), the costs of roof-mounted PV installations have more than halved over the past five years. In the first quarter of 2012, the average investment cost worked out at just €1,969 per kilowatt peak (kWp).
Many owners of industrial and commercial buildings are therefore investing in roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) plants to generate their power. The solar energy produced by these plants can either be fed into the grid and remunerated in line with the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), or can be consumed directly on site. Such distributed power generation is primarily intended to ease the burden on power grids. In view of the continually climbing prices for electricity, on-site consumption of solar power chiefly offers owners of buildings with roof-mounted PV plants a power supply for which they can plan with confidence. This is because the cost of one kilowatt hour (kWh) of solar power generated on site can be calculated at an average of 18 euro cents over the long-term without running the risk of encountering price hikes.
Roof-mounted PV plants are particularly profitable if the time they generate power coincides with the consumption of power on site. This is the case with industrial processes, for example, where electrically-powered machines are in permanent operation throughout the day. The solar power generated by PV installations can then be used directly to drive the machines without the need for storage. The same applies to large residential buildings with ten or more sets of tenants, some or all of whom are present through the day. These residents require power at times when it is produced and therefore consume it directly. Whereas previously roofs were leased to external investors for them to install and operate PV plants, fluctuating electricity prices are making it an increasingly attractive prospect for home owners to have access to power produced by their own installation, which gives them both independence and the ability to plan with confidence.
Planners and architects can learn more about the details that need to be considered when planning and realizing large-scale roof-mounted PV plants at the forum entitled Photovoltaics on Industrial and Commercial Roofs – Practical Aspects, Financing and Building Regulations, which takes place at Intersolar Europe on June 14 from 2:30pm to 5:00pm in hall B1, room B13. The forum is being organized by Intersolar Europe in cooperation with the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), Berlin. In individual presentations, experts share information on the latest legal and technical developments, from financing options through the impact of the EEG on the technical framework to technical innovations in PV modules.
You can find further information about the presentations here.
