The Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics in Valley wants to become climate-neutral

Created: 01/15/2022 11:26 am

By: Selina Benda

Using solar energy and converting it into electricity for your own use - this is what the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics in Valley is planning with a photovoltaic system to the right of the technical building.

© Benda

Valley – The Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics in Valley wants to become climate-neutral.

To do this, the institute relies on a large photovoltaic system.

By 2030, the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) in the Oberlaindern district of the Valley wants to become climate-neutral.

For this purpose, the company is planning an open-space photovoltaic system for its own use on the institute premises.

The associated change in the development plan was approved by the municipal council.

With the energy transition in mind, the IBP has dealt intensively with the question of how it can cover the energy requirement from renewable sources.

According to the municipal manager Franz Huber, the company analyzed its own needs and the possibilities for photovoltaic areas on its own premises.

And it turned out that this was definitely possible, as architect Gerhard Krogoll explained to the municipal council.

The planner presented the project to the committee in one meeting.

Accordingly, a system with a peak output of around 240 kilowatts is to be erected on the southern part of the site on Fraunhoferstrasse – directly adjacent to the existing technical building along the western border.

As Krogoll explained, the collector area is 1100 square meters and the lawn area is 1800 square meters.

"The electricity generated is intended exclusively for the IBP, with excess feed into the public grid," says the architect's statement.

However, the prerequisite for feeding into the public grid is that photovoltaic systems are set up on an open space in an existing development plan.

"Only then does the local grid operator have to pay for the solar power generated," explained Krogoll.

According to the planner, the planned facilities are located in areas that have been designated as a "special area for experimental buildings".

However, a large-scale photovoltaic system on an open space is regarded as a "main use" within the meaning of the building code.

For this reason, a part of the IBP site has to be changed into a “solar energy special area”.

According to the architect, after consultation with the district office, nothing stands in the way of this change to the building plan.

Therefore, the committee also unanimously voted in favor of changing the construction plan.

An urban development contract is also being concluded between the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as the applicant and the municipality of Valley.