Political frameworks have made the building of large Photovoltaic (PV) power plants in Germany a real challenge at least since the end of 2013. Against this background, it comes as a surprise that a 4,4 MW PV park has recently been connected to the grid in northern Germany. Hanwha Q CELLS, headquartered in Germany, has supplied more than 17,000 of its Q.PRO 255 Wp modules for the solar plant. Thus Europe’s largest PV provider is further expanding its footprint in the German market. The ground-mounted system in the federal state of Brandenburg has been constructed and grid-connected in only 4 weeks. The utility-scale plant has been developed by the Wattmanufactur - Osterhof Group which is also bearing the investment. The company is headquartered in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. The ground-mounted system has been completed on a former rail-freight terminal site near a substation along the high-speed railroad between Hamburg and Berlin. The plant is expected to provide clean solar power for around 1,300 local households.
Module quality is a key component of profitable solar parks Next to inverters, mounting systems and cables the quality of the modules used is key to the economics of a solar park. “When it comes to modules it´s easy to run into mistakes – it starts with the plug, goes to the sheet and ends with the cells,” says Hauke Nissen, MD of the Wattmanufactur GmbH & Co. KG. “The park is supposed to remain operational for a long time. We are involved in Operations & Maintenance (O&M) and naturally we are highly interested in smooth operations of the park.”
“Above all, we have chosen Q CELLS modules in order to ensure the ROI. And we were looking for a provider of reliable modules who will still be with us in a few years from now,” underlines Nissen. The project developer whose key market is Germany has engaged a laboratory to test some module samples. “We wanted to get a feeling for the materials and the potential yield as well as for the product’s durability. I can confirm the high quality of the Q CELLS modules,” outlines Nissen. Additional factors that put Q CELLS ahead of its competition were the superior low-light behavior of the modules, reliability in supply and investment security.
Challenge: Constructing solar plants in Germany “Who is still constructing power plants in Germany? The ROI span is very tight,” says Nissen. “We expect the power plant to run for 30 years and even to produce electricity beyond that. After 20 years we are going to be able to sell the electricity, e. g. to the German railway. And the energy won’t be cheaper then.”
Matthias Meyn, Key Account Manager at Hanwha Q CELLS, is glad “that solar power plants using European modules are still possible in Germany. The PV park and EU module supply are further proof of that.” Michael Geib, Head of Sales for Germany, Austria and Switzerland at Hanwha Q CELLS adds: “Q CELLS is continuously gaining market share in the shrinking German PV market.”
Background: Renewable Energy Act and solar power plants The power plant solutions business has taken a nose-dive last year. According to the German Solar Industry Association the installed capacity of power plants in the megawatt range has shrinked by 64% in 2013 compared to the previous year. According to the Renewable Energy Act the FiT for ground-mounted systems adds up close to 9 cent for the moment. Since 2012 the refundable installed capacity is limited to the extent of 10 MW. As a result investments in solar power plants in Germany lack profitability in most cases.
About Wattmanufactur
Wattmanufactur is a future-oriented project developer headquartered in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. The company offers project development and construction as well as O&M services of PV plants, from planning to commercial consulting, legal support and expertise. Its highly qualified team develops tailor-made solutions through competence and know-how. As a result, its customers can use PV for natural power generation. This includes particularly technically complex large-scale plants like solar parks as well as large-scale roof-top plants on industry roofs.
About Hanwha Q CELLS
Hanwha Q CELLS is headquartered in Germany and Europe´s largest provider in photovoltaics. The company offers a wide range of high quality photovoltaic products, solutions and services “Engineered in Germany”. Next to its premium quality products from high-quality solar modules to systems and power plants the company also offers long-term partnership and financial stability being part of the South Korean Top-Ten business enterprise Hanwha Group. At its headquarters in Thalheim (Germany) Hanwha Q CELLS has a unique setup of R&D, production and quality management, enabling the company to develop leading products and manufacturing innovations. Hanwha Q CELLS` products are developed at its headquarters in Germany and manufactured in the company´s production plants in Germany, Malaysia and additional mass production sites in Europe and Asia. Hanwha Q CELLS sells its products under the “Q CELLS” brand via its international sales network with branches in Germany (HQ), Malaysia, Japan, USA, Korea, France, Turkey, Chile and Australia. Thanks to its truly international setup, high quality products and the financial stability, Hanwha Q CELLS is THE reliable partner for PV customers around the globe. For more information, visit: www.q-cells.com
