Steinmühle Generates More Solar Power
Steinmühle is stepping up its efforts to promote renewable energy. Additional photovoltaic systems have recently been installed on the roofs of Steinmühle. Egon Vaupel, chairman of the Steinmühle Marburg School Association, inaugurated the systems together with representatives of the Sonneninitiative association and school principal Dirk Konnertz on the last day of school before summer break.
“The school association is making the roofs of the School Forum and the new ‘Atrium’ building available to the Sonneninitiative association. The association, in turn, makes them available to interested citizens who want to generate environmentally friendly solar power there,” Konnertz reported, explaining: “For us, this project is another step toward utilizing renewable energy.” Steinmühle already has its own hydroelectric power plant, which covers its own electricity needs and feeds surplus electricity into the grid.
With the continued installation of solar panels on buildings—part of the Schulforum was already equipped with its own system and has now been expanded in cooperation with the Sonneninitiative association—the Steinmühle is on the right path toward the future: “We are considering installing solar panels on additional buildings.”
Sonneninitiative e.V., a Marburg-based association led by Volker Klös, is organizing the project and handling the accounting. It already operates 250 community solar power plants.
The Steinmühle community solar power plant can generate up to 125 kilowatts of solar power. This can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 91 metric tons annually. The annual electricity generation of 122,000 kilowatt-hours would be sufficient to meet the private electricity needs of approximately 40 households in Marburg.
Steinmühle Community Solar Power Plant, Marburg
Additional data:
Capacity: 125 kWp
Area: 780 m² net module area
Lifespan: 30–40 years
Shading: none
Owners: 10 citizens
Total cost of the system: approx. 150,000 euros
Annual electricity revenue: 13,500–14,000 euros
