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Abandoned buildings transformed into PV plant

A former military training centre in Lynow, Germany, has been converted into a 1.56 MW PV plant.

The abandoned building had been out of use since 1989 and locals were eager for an improvement to the neglected area. Ka-Energy Solutions GmbH was selected as an investor and to serve as the EPC for the solar park and manage daily operations and maintenance after the commissioning.

A total of 6,000 solar modules and 30 Delta RPI M50A solar inverters with 50 kW output were installed in the system.  

During the project, environmental factors had to be taken into consideration. A study found that protected species of bats were located in the area, and so, measures were taken in order to preserve the nesting areas of these bats. One element was the construction of a long narrow brick corridor approximately 2 meters high and 10 meters long with the majority of the structure built underground. The structure was designed to give local bats a clear flight path into protected roosting space. Additionally, new trees were planted at a local kindergarten in order to account for felled trees.

The new solar park is now complete and generating an estimated 1,516 MWh electricity annually, enough to power approximately 400 households in the region. Furthermore, the park is providing annual savings of 1,400 tons of carbon dioxide - a value representing the CO2 emissions of 750 cars on the road.

Delta believes the project was successful not just in cleaning up a neglected and contaminated locale but also in transforming what some locals viewed as an eyesore into a clean energy source for several communities. The company claims it proves that large PV projects can be responsibly planned in order to have minimal impact on local vegetation and habitats. 

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Photovoltaics (PV)  •  Policy, investment and markets