Conergy Builds The Saarland's Largest Solar Park On Historic Estate

Hot on the heels of the opening of its 8 megawatt solar park in Grimmen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Conergy announces a new project in the Saarland region. The 10.5 megawatt power plant that the system supplier is building on the historic Linslerhof estate, owned by the von Boch investor family, will be the Saarland's biggest solar installation. The solar park is being built near the French border, on an area of land alongside a railway line. Just like at the headquarters of their porcelain manufacturing company, Villeroy & Boch, 40 kilometres away, the family has opted for 100% German quality: Conergy will act as main contractor and will be responsible for the installation of the park as well as the supply of Conergy components.

"The planned changes to solar subsidies naturally had an influence on our decision," says Wendelin von Boch. "We are on a tight schedule, as the park has to be finished by the end of June. We therefore needed to find extremely reliable and professional partners, and that's why we have turned to Conergy. We are looking for high quality, not only in planning and implementation, but also in the components "“ we know from experience that quality always pays off."

Conergy Board Member Alexander Gorski comments: "We are delighted to have won this challenging and prestigious project. Our customers trust Conergy and highly regard our years of experience and the quality of our installations. As a company, Conergy is in a strong position. In Germany, but also abroad, where we are enjoying a lot of success in our sales. In 2011 we set a new course for Conergy's future with the successful refinancing and numerous restructuring measures. We are already starting to reap the benefits of these measures. Not only through an improved cost structure, but also through the number of projects that we are winning, such as this one for the von Boch family."

Along with a focus on quality, for many years the von Boch family have concentrated on environmental issues at their historic hotel. Food, drink and equipment are all from Germany, mostly, actually, from the immediate surrounding area. Water for non-drinking purposes is drawn from the estate's own well in order to save water. Alongside the 500 kilowatt rooftop installations, the idyllic 815-acre property now boasts a solar power plant. 44,000 Conergy PowerPlus modules on Conergy SolarLinea mounting systems will produce clean energy from this summer onwards, which will then be fed into the grid by 30 Conergy IPG 300C central inverters. In total, the solar installations on the property will generate more than 10,000 megawatt hours of solar power per year "“ enough electricity to supply 90% of the townspeople in Überherrn with electricity or 20 times as much as the needs of the hotel and spa complex on the estate.

It is not only the Linslerhof that is setting a precedent: Überherrn's mayor, Bernd Gillo, has also been promoting alternative energy sources in his community since 2008 by having all public buildings fitted with solar installations. "We are responsible for the next generation, therefore sustainable, emission-free energy is very important, especially where tourism is concerned. That is why we are delighted about the new installation being built on the Linslerhof estate," says Mayor Gillo. "The local community can play an active role in the shift towards alternative energy "“ they can take a share of the Linslerhof solar plant via a small citizens' solar park."