German firm builds solar array to power EV charging stations

German energy equipment supplier FocusEnergie GmbH & Co KG is building a 300-kWp solar installation on the roof of a car park in southwest Germany to power charging stations for electric vehicles and e-bikes in the fleet of a local electronics manufacturer.

The solar system will be located in the small town of Endingen am Kaiserstuhl close to the border with France and will consist of about 1,000 solar panels installed on the car park roof with an area of nearly 2,000 sq m (2,392 sq yd). The car park is owned by local electronics manufacturer Eltroplan Engineering GmbH.

The investment costs for the project are estimated at EUR 1 million (USD 1.14m).

In addition to the solar panels, FocusEnergie will install an energy storage system of between 100 kWh and 200 kWh and build initially five charging stations for electric vehicles and bikes. The company will be also in charge of the project's grid connection with a new substation, it said last week.

The project will support Eltroplan's efforts to improve its energy balance. The company recently bought three new electric vehicles to expand its fleet which now consists of seven vehicles and only one of them is not electric.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.146)

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