Albasolar GmbH (Berlin) a company dedicated exclusively to the distribution of solar photovoltaic (PV) material in collaboration with REC Solar Spain provides modules for the largest solar project in Austria, which will also be the highest in Europe.
The power plant has an output of 2 megawatts (MW) and will be located in the Niedere Tauern massif in the state of Steiermark, very near to the wind power plant built on the same peak.
The current commitment of the Austrian government to photovoltaics is consolidating the geographical extension of the distributor in the German-Austrian-Switzerland axis, where for two years now they have had offices in principal European markets.
“We are convinced that this is a great project to show the quality of European products and the flexibility of our company to deliver, counting on our almost 20 years of experience in the PV sector,” says Alberto Sanroman, Global Managing Director of Albasolar.
A project with scientific interest
The Tauernwind project is the largest solar PV installation in Austria and the highest located in Europe, winning the interest of the scientific community. With an investment of near to EUR 5 million, the developer, who is also responsible for the wind project in the same location, has achieved converting the Niedere Tauern massif into the reference mountain range in Europe in terms of renewable energy plants.
The use of the infrastructure of the wind park, the leveling off the ground and the light East/West slope of the surface of 400 x 150 meters was built with local workers, and most parts of the photovoltaic equipment are European.
“Austria is a challenging market because the photovoltaic sector hasn’t quite taken off, however we believe strongly in their potential,” says Amparo Peralta, Managing Director of Albasolar GmbH.
“Our customer believed in PV, and his choice has led him to create a strong reference project for photovoltaic ground systems, a segment which last year made up only 6,3% to the 86% of roof top installations” – added Peralta.
REC modules under extreme climate conditions; high yields expected
The special location of the plant requires strong and reliable equipment. REC modules, produced with the most demanding manufacturing standards, guarantee a robust and long lasting design, together with a reliable power output. The high performance REC 240PE modules, manufactured by the Scandinavian company REC, and supplied by Albasolar GmbH, will have to face the climate of this region with strong winds and snow weight up to 9 kN/m².
However, these conditions will not mean a handicap for capturing energy, on the contrary, particularly high performance is expected due to the leading performance of REC modules, which are optimized for all sunlight and meteorological conditions.
2.5 million kWh expected per year
Low ambient temperature, extra cooling by the strong winds, as well as low pollution at this height will also be positive for the installation. As a result, the installation due to Alabasolar will produce 2.5 million kWh per year, which is the same as the electrical consumption of 700 families. The annual reduction of CO2 will be 2000 tons, which means a save of 825 t/year of fossil fuel.
REC group, in their commitment to the environment, guarantees, according to official analysis (Life Cycle Analysis), leading energy payback time, as well as a minimal carbon footprint in all its modules, thanks to the efficient use of clean energy during all the manufacturing process.
“In REC we work continuously for the sustainability of our products in order to offer to our customers the best performance with the lowest environmental impact,” explains Ivano Zanni, General Manager of REC Solar in Spain.
Source: Albasolar
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Amparo Peralta, Managing Director of Albasolar GmbH said that "Austria is a challenging market because the photovoltaic sector hasn’t quite taken off, however we believe strongly in their potential". Do you agree with Mr Peralta and can Austria fulfil the potential displayed by their neighbours, Germany?