Photovoltaics pays off

Photovoltaics pays off

Almost every car business has a roof over its head. Tens of square meters of roof space that could be used to generate valuable electricity when the sun shines. Photovoltaic systems are particularly popular now that electricity prices are skyrocketing. Anyone who has invested in the last few years has been able to dramatically shorten the payback period due to the current price explosion. Alexander Moldan, managing director of Auto Pirnbacher, tells us how important energy independence can be. He made his car dealership in St. Johann im Pongau fit for the future with an investment of around seven million euros. Around two million euros of this were invested in energy independence: "We installed a very large groundwater heat pump that heats and cools the entire building. On the roof we have a photovoltaic system with 180 kilowatt peak, with which we can supply the business and up to 30 electric charging points." Eight of these charging points are publicly accessible and are also used. "It was clear to us from the start that we wanted to make the best possible use of the opportunities we have here at the location for independent energy production. Now you can see how right the decision was." Moldan emphasizes that the payback period did not play a major role in the planning phase: "Nobody knows how energy prices will develop. Independence gives us greater scope for action, regardless of whether it pays off in five, seven or ten years."

The Pirnbacher car dealership is of course a prime example. But smaller companies and those that have been in use for decades can also jump on the independence bandwagon. Mario Reitermayr from Akkumobil, based in Ottensheim, Upper Austria, is an electric car and electric technology specialist and calculates: "A kilowatt peak costs around 1,000-1,200 euros to purchase. Per kilowatt peak (theoretical peak power of the system) you need around 5-7 square meters of roof space. The larger the system, the cheaper it is in relation to it." For the technology expert, however, the expansion is going much too slowly: "Actually, we should pave every roof with photovoltaic systems, starting with public buildings. One thing is clear: a photovoltaic system always pays off. It's not a question of if, but only when." The sticking point at the moment: the shortage of skilled workers. "Any licensed electrician should be able to install such a system. The material would also be available at the moment. But you need the approval of the local energy provider as to whether the network can tolerate the planned system and then the corresponding installation work. Approval for such a system can take months and the energy providers are not exactly pushing it," says Reitermayr. In addition to the energy consumption via the grid, the photovoltaic system would also need to be fed in. And that is exactly what can pose major and expensive problems for power grids. "On average, a private customer has a 4-kilowatt connection. They will usually be approved for a system up to 4 kW peak. But companies usually have connections with higher power outputs. If they all install correspondingly high kilowatt peak systems on the roof, it can push the fragile electricity network to its limits. And then the question is who will pay for the expansion for a better network. An exciting question," Reitermayr continues.

A clever idea would be to use old electric car batteries as temporary storage for self-produced solar power, practically as a backup battery, especially for vehicle companies. Unfortunately, according to Reitermayr, this is technically possible, but just not permitted: "E-car batteries are not permitted as stationary home storage. They can be installed in the car in the garage, but outside the car - no chance." Politics is urgently needed here to enable better solutions. The number of electric cars and their batteries will increase dramatically in the future. Alexander Moldan from the car dealership in Salzburg says that around 15 percent of new cars sold are electric cars - and the trend is rising. What is to be done now? Mario Reitermayr assesses the situation as follows: "I wouldn't have a large photovoltaic system installed today on credit. But if I have the money and the space, you can't go wrong with it, because it will always pay off." Especially for motor vehicle companies that will soon be managed successfully and in the long term by the next generation.