50-kW solar facade financed by PPA

A 50 kW PV system is being built on the facade of a radiology center near Marburg’s main train station. The Marburg municipal utilities and the Sonneninitiative association have concluded a PPA that ensures the long-term financing of the project.

November 9, 2020 Sandra Enkhardt

Image: a.p.l. - architekten, Hagen Plaehn

From pv magazine Germany

When we think of power purchase agreements (PPAs), we usually think of large solar power plants. However, the model can also work on a small scale.

Marburg’s municipal power utility, Stadtwerke Marburg, wants to demonstrate this with the facade of the local radiology center at Marburg’s main train station. It will be equipped with a 50-kW photovoltaic facade, made possible by a long-term PPA between the Sonneninitiative association and the Marburg utility.

Stadtwerke Marburg will finance the costs for the PPA through the sale of solar power to the radiological practice in the building. The practice has a very high power consumption due to its equipment.

The photovoltaic facade system doesn’t just deliver electricity, but is also architecturally attractive. The entire south-east and south-west facade will be equipped with custom-made monocrystalline solar modules. The architectural office a.p.l. – architects plaehn and lüdemann from Hanover designed the project.

The project aims to show how all available surfaces can be used in the future to generate power in the city — without disrupting urban aesthetics.

The construction of the photovoltaic facade system is expected to take place in the winter months, with completion planned in the spring.

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