Photovoltaics for sustainable logistics

"In the logistics sector, highly developed technologies and automation solutions are increasingly being used to make processes more efficient and flexible. However, this goes hand in hand with increased energy requirements. At the same time, regulatory requirements for climate protection and sustainable business practices are becoming increasingly important. Decarbonization and compliance with ESG criteria are therefore becoming a decisive competitive factor. Large-scale photovoltaic systems open up promising prospects here," says Georg Brenninkmeijer, Managing Director at Sunrock Germany.

These use the large and mostly flat roof surfaces of logistics properties to generate green electricity, which can be used to cover a significant proportion of the energy requirements of the business. This improves the carbon footprint and reduces dependence on external energy sources and fluctuating electricity prices. The value of the property also benefits: Sustainably equipped logistics properties are more attractive to investors, are easier to let and achieve higher values in the portfolio. PV systems are therefore becoming a central component of sustainable and future-proof location concepts.

Successful implementation of PV projects

However, installation requires careful planning and technical expertise. For example, the load-bearing capacity of the roof and its remaining service life must be checked and the building infrastructure must be examined for PV compatibility and adapted if necessary. If, for example, larger amounts of electricity are to be fed into the grid, it is often necessary to upgrade the technology and install more powerful transformers. As part of the measures, the conditions for a charging infrastructure can also be created in order to charge electric vehicles with the electricity generated from renewable sources.

Once the system has been successfully installed and commissioned, one challenge remains: The sun does not always shine when energy is needed, for example in continuous shift operation with night-time load profiles. At the same time, the electricity production of a PV system can far exceed the demand - especially at midday. "If these surpluses are stored, they can be called up when needed, regardless of the amount of sunlight. This is where a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) comes in. By integrating such a battery storage solution, the local use of climate-friendly electricity can be increased and expensive peak electricity prices can be avoided. At the same time, the independence of your own energy supply is increased even further," explains Georg Brenninkmeijer.

Intelligent battery storage solution in Dorsten

The "Positive Footprint Warehouse" pilot project by Delta Development in Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia, shows how this works in practice. Sunrock, a European developer of large-scale solar roofs and integrated solutions for clean energy, installed a BESS with a capacity of 1,000 kWh alongside a PV system with an output of 3.45 MWp. The latter stores the solar power that is not immediately consumed during operation and thus supplies the user with fossil-free energy as required. The solar power solution thus rounds off the sustainability concept of the property, which was built using the cradle-to-cradle approach for the first time in Germany. Carbon dioxide monitoring also ensures that climate neutrality will be achieved by 2050 as planned.

Green electricity for "The Tube" business and logistics park

In the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital of Düsseldorf, a PV system from Sunrock also complements the sustainability package of "The
Tube" project by Frasers Property Industrial, a multinational developer, owner and operator of logistics and industrial real estate. Around 14,600 modules and an output of 6.7 MWp reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 2,627 tons per year. Sunrock has leased the approximately 76,000 m² roof area for this purpose and can provide users with solar power at attractive conditions by means of a local Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Sunrock can also supply the entire power supply on request. Other measures with which the project sets high sustainability standards include an intelligent heating and smart metering system. Frasers is also pursuing the goal of obtaining platinum certification from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) with the brownfield development.

For the first time, a DGNB Gold certification for the carbon dioxide-reduced and transparent dismantling of an industrial site will also be awarded in this context. The companies recently announced that they will continue their collaboration - work has already begun on a project with a capacity of 3.7 MWp in Vaihingen an der Enz, Baden-Württemberg.

Sunrock is also equipping seven logistics properties with PV systems for Nuveen Real Estate, an international investment manager. These have a total output of 14.9 MWp. Three systems in Bremen with a total of 3.3 MWp are already connected to the grid. Further systems with a total of 7.8 MWp will be installed in Neuruppin, Kamp-Lintfort and Wunstorf by the end of the year. The seventh project with 3.8 MWp in Magdeburg is planned for 2026. In mathematical terms, the projects could cover the annual energy requirements of around 6,500 single-person households and save around 6,095 tons of carbon dioxide per year. However, solar power solutions are also becoming increasingly important outside the logistics sector, for example for industrial companies with high energy requirements. For example, Sunrock is installing large-scale PV systems at two BMW Group sites, and Sunrock systems are also being installed on 18 roofs at Mercedes-Benz.