Eco-concept – Wolkersdorf: Photovoltaic roof for all SPL Tele parking spaces

“Sun on the roof and in parking spaces – this is a sensible dual use of valuable land and a step towards the energy transition,” says Deputy Governor Stefan Bernkopf. In the case of SPL Tele and its electrified sister company Wolkersdorf in Weinviertel, they go even further: in mid-2022, the two companies began building specially developed parking lots in order to use parking areas with maximum efficiency to produce electricity. The garage, called “Thor,” combines an electric charging station, photovoltaics and a garage under one roof, and is therefore more than just a parking space. “A total of 125 parking spaces are now covered with photovoltaic systems, in addition to all rooftop areas. “The bottom line is that approximately 5 MW of photovoltaics have already been implemented at the company’s sites and 1,700 tons of CO2 have been saved,” congratulates Bernkopf.

Rudolf Schutz, owner of SPL Tele Group: “Especially when the weather is nice, not only cars and office buildings benefit, but also the environment. Thanks to the innovative and large-scale environmental concept, renewable energy can be delivered to the last socket. With 110 charging stations already installed, 150 An electric vehicle in our company’s fleet has already traveled more than 3 million environmental kilometers.

The starting signal was a few years ago when SPL Tele recognized renewable energy as a topic of the future. The expansion of business activities into a new and vital mainstay, electric mobility, was followed by the construction of electric charging stations and energy storage facilities directly on the company’s premises. The sustainable business branch was continuously expanded and merged into a new company – Electricify – in 2020. The charging infrastructure was followed by full-roof photovoltaic systems on all rooftops using a 360-degree approach. It scores points thanks to its quick planning and easy implementation in existing areas, where no complex foundation is required. Additional advantages include simple and practical design, reasonable payback period and sustainability.

With the completion of the parking lots, the sustainable energy management concept at the sites in Wilkersdorf is complete, is 100 percent utilized and can now be fully operational. This has already saved 1,700 tons of carbon dioxide – equivalent to more than 80,000 planted trees – and has contributed significantly to environmental conservation.