Visionary ‘energy village’ involves and benefits the local community
PVTIME – Trina Solar, a leading global PV and smart energy total solution provider, recently started delivery of 125 MW of its Vertex bifacial modules to customer MaxSolar for their Bundorf Solar Park project in Bavaria, Germany. Once completed, it will be one of Germany’s largest citizen solar parks, capable of supplying nearly 40,000 households with power.
MaxSolar, a German EPC, began construction of the 125-hectare facility in Lower Franconia in September 2022. The project is expected to be completed in mid-2023 with 40 of its 125 hectares being used for a community energy system, enabling citizens to participate.
Many solar parks across Europe serve a mix of residential and commercial purposes, but this one is focused on the participation and benefits of local residents through the citizen energy cooperative. The park will form the centerpiece of a visionary ‘energy village’. It will power a number of charging stations for electric vehicles in and around Bundorf, as well as a local district heating network. The heating network starts construction in 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Moreover, the PV plant has been planned to enable an upgrade with large-scale energy storage systems at a later stage.
Trina Solar’s first shipment of modules arrived at the site in October. When completed, Bundorf Solar Park will include more than 250,000 bifacial Vertex photovoltaic (PV) modules which MaxSolar chose to power the entire plant. These modules were created to offer lowest levelized cost of energy by increasing the module’s output power and energy yield.
With the ability to exceed 670W of maximum power and a high level of efficiency, the Vertex product range offer clients more value for their money. Dual-glass technology makes these bifacial modules highly reliable, even in harsh weather conditions. Their design minimizes rear side shading, avoiding adverse effects on efficiency. The active rear side of the cells provides additional energy yield, compared to monofacial peers.
“The execution of Bundorf is running smoothly and with the support of Trina and their key account we are convinced to finish within time and budget. The product characteristics of the module, above all the high economic efficiency, have convinced us of Trina. Together with Trina, we will successfully execute more projects and shape the future of green energy production”, says David Butz, COO at MaxSolar GmbH.
Gonzalo de la Viña, President EMEA at Trina Solar, commented: “At Trina Solar we are very happy to be part of this amazing citizen solar project. Bundorf Solar Park is an outstanding example of how citizens can participate in the solar revolution in many different ways, not just with their own private PV system. This is perfectly in line with our company’s vision of bringing clean, affordable energy to all human beings.”
