Since mid-September, Germany's largest roof-mounted solar array with a capacity of twelve megawatts (MW) has been installed on a logistics center of the Metro Logistics company in Marl. By comparison, rooftop installations on single-family homes often have a capacity of up to just ten kilowatts. At the same time, a second rooftop solar array with a capacity of six MW has been installed on a neighboring building.
Together, the two photovoltaic installations can generate enough renewable electricity to power around 5,100 households, thanks to 43,000 solar modules covering an area equivalent to 14 soccer fields. Metro Logistics expects the system to meet all of the warehouse's energy needs.
At the inauguration ceremony, NRW Economics Minister Mona Neubaur described the Marl plant as a "lighthouse project" and an example of sustainable energy generation for the future. In the best case scenario, this project will be just one of many and serve as an incentive for other commercial enterprises to equip their roofs with solar panels.
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is generally promoting more solar installations on industrial roofs. Public utility company Stadtwerke Wülfrath also responded to the call and invested around four million euros in an installation. The rooftop solar array, also on a logistics center, covers an area of almost eight soccer fields and, with a capacity of 4.4 MW, could meet the annual electricity needs of 1,650 four-person households.
