Expanding on their existing relationship, BayWa r.e. and Mercedes-Benz AG have marked yet another successful partnership, with BayWa r.e. undertaking the development of six new photovoltaic (PV) rooftop installations. These installations are located at five different production sites in Germany, including Sindelfingen (two sites), Rastatt, Bremen, Hamburg, and Kölleda. BayWa r.e. was tasked with planning, designing, and executing these projects to help Mercedes-Benz to pursue its sustainability goals.
The six rooftop projects involve the installation of approximately 23,000 PV modules, covering an area equivalent to about 10 football fields. The implementation of these projects required the laying of around 389 kilometers of cable and manually distributing approximately 650 tons of ballast. Together, these rooftop installations are estimated to generate electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of over 3,300 average households in Germany. For this project, BayWa r.e., has used its proprietary novotegra mounting system for the solar panels, along with a custom-designed inverter mounting system. The electricity from these rooftop installations will be directly supplied to the factory buildings, ensuring a seamless flow.
These projects are part of an ongoing collaboration between the renewable energy company and the automotive brand. Previously, BayWa r.e. partnered with Mercedes-Benz Italy to implement a PV installation in Capena, consisting of 1,400 panels and a capacity of 500 kWp. BayWa r.e. has also been recognized for its sustainable practices and awarded the Mercedes-Benz Supplier Award in the sustainability category in 2022. This recognition was attributed to the development of a rooftop installation for Mercedes-Benz’s Factory 56, a state-of-the-art automotive production facility. The Factory 56 installation has 12,000 PV modules, generating an output of over 5,000 kWp.
Andrea Grotzke, Global Director of Energy Solutions at BayWa r.e., commented, “We are delighted to accomplish these six new projects and continue to support Mercedes-Benz on their sustainability journey. We not only provided them with high-quality PV rooftop installations but also made sure that their implementation was as seamless as possible and adapted to the challenging roof configurations of the buildings. Corporations like this play a fundamental role in the energy transition and can make a huge impact in unlocking innovative and sustainable solutions. We are looking forward to building on this successful relationship in the future!”
Elke Pußkeiler, Head of Supply Chain at Mercedes-Benz AG said, “Mercedes-Benz intends to increase the share of renewable energy significantly, not least through increased on-site generation capacity. Maximizing the rollout of photovoltaic systems on the roofs of our factories and buildings is therefore a key pillar of our energy strategy. Together with a strong and reliable partner like BayWa r.e. we are going big steps forward in our ambition to let all our own car production locations also become renewable energy production sites.”
