News
Published in: Solar, Press Releases
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Funded by Buchdorf Municipality, three solar systems have been installed on two Kindergarten buildings and a fire station for self-consumption – powering up to 90% of each building’s energy needs
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Using the remaining rooftop space, two additional solar systems have been funded by a resident-led ‘energy cooperative’ to sell solar energy to the grid
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Revenue generated from the feed-in tariff will go towards funding further energy projects like a wind turbine to produce even more clean energy
Munich, Germany – 27 August 2025 – Located in Donau-Ries, Bavaria, the municipality of Buchdorf and 263 of its 2,000 citizens have joined forces in a mission to accelerate the community’s transition to clean energy and become more energy independent.
In a bid to reduce the community’s reliance on grid electricity and cut energy costs, the Municipality has funded three rooftop solar systems installed on the local Kindergarten and day nursery buildings, as well as the local fire station. Powered by SolarEdge Inverters and Power Optimizers, the three solar systems are now powering up to 90% of each building’s energy needs. This has resulted in a reduction in grid consumption of more than 12,000 kWh in just 6 months, equating to €5,000 in total energy bill savings. To maximize self-consumption, the Municipality has also installed battery storage to power systems at night with free solar energy, such as heat-pumps and refrigeration devices.
With rooftop space still available across two of the three buildings, the remaining space was leased to the Neue Energie Buchdorf eG – a new ‘energy cooperative’ formed of 263 local citizens looking to expand the deployment of clean energy in the community. Installed alongside the three municipality-funded systems, the cooperative invested in two further solar systems – with all energy produced fed into the grid and sold to the local grid operator. Revenues generated will go towards the cooperative’s ambitious plan to finance the planning and projection of a wind turbine to power to produce even more clean energy in the community. Cooperative members are also expected to receive some financial returns on their investment, depending on the annual result of the cooperative, making it a potentially lucrative investment project for the participating citizens of Buchdorf.
Walter Grob, Mayor of the Municipality of Buchdorf, says: “The Municipality of Buchdorf and its citizens are fully-committed to the clean energy transition – not only to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, but also the grid. This is underscored by the recent solar installations on the Kindergarten buildings and fire station, which are now nearly grid independent, as well as the inspirational efforts of the citizens behind the Neue Energie Buchdorf eG.”
“I am excited to say that we’re already planning another solar system on the community hall, which is currently under construction, in collaboration with Neue Energie Buchdorf eG,” he adds.
Tobias Blank, Head of the Neue Energie Buchdorf eG, comments: "This project is a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared vision. Our cooperative model empowers citizens to take climate action into their own hands, while creating a sustainable investment for the future. The continued deployment of solar and our plans for a wind turbine will ensure that the community can supply and benefit from clean energy for years to come. Without the commitment of our members to the cause and significant financial investment, we would not be able to achieve our long-term goal of building a new wind turbine for the community.“
Advanced solar technology used to help ensure public safety
As with any solar system installed on public buildings, particularly schools housing children, the technology used had to meet stringent safety standards. As a result, the Municipality of Buchdorf requested SolarEdge’s DC-optimized solar inverter having already been used in PV systems across other Municipalities in Munich for its advanced fire safety capabilities. SolarEdge Power Optimizers – small devices attached to the underside of each pair of solar panels – feature technology that is designed to detect temperature increases at the connector level in order to help prevent potential electric arcs from occurring. The innovative SafeDCTM feature is also designed to reduce the solar system’s voltage to a touch-safe 1 V within seconds, so firefighters or first responders can work safely during daylight.
Blank concludes: “Having seen this technology used across other Municipalities because of its advanced fire safety capabilities, it gives us the peace of mind that safety will not be compromised. We have also made a significant financial investment in solar, so it is important to know that our investments are safe and reliable. SolarEdge’s premium monitoring solution provides this to us. This is why picking the right system is actually a very important decision, therefore I suggest anyone looking into solar do their research and ensure safety features such as SafeDC and advanced monitoring are a non-negotiable.”
About SolarEdge
SolarEdge is a global leader in smart energy technology. By leveraging world-class engineering capabilities and with a relentless focus on innovation, SolarEdge creates smart energy solutions that power our lives and drive future progress. SolarEdge developed an intelligent inverter solution that changed the way power is harvested and managed in photovoltaic (PV) systems. The SolarEdge DC-optimized inverter seeks to maximize power generation while lowering the cost of energy produced by the PV system. Continuing to advance smart energy, SolarEdge addresses a broad range of energy market segments through its PV, storage, EV charging, batteries, and grid services solutions.
Media Contacts
Dominique Pink
Incus Media
dominique.pink@incus-media.com
Justine Pedrioli
Incus Media
