Power plant on rooftop printing press ON

ONachrichten not only provides a sustainability report, but also provides an example: since last week, 380,000 kWh of solar energy has been generated annually on the roof of the company’s printing workshop in Pasching. To put this in perspective: This corresponds to the amount of electricity that about 110 two-person households need per year.

The “green energy” project on the rooftop of the printing press is a major concern for Herbert Achleitner, Chief Financial Officer of ONachrichten: “As a media company, we not only want to think sustainably, but we want to live sustainability and take on a leadership role.” The first 714 PV modules were already installed in 2017, and in 2021 planning began for an expansion now implemented with 430 modules, which were recently connected to the grid. About 80 percent of the electricity generated using Sunpower units and Fronius inverters is used internally. “The conditions are ideal, as the general network is only slightly loaded,” says Achleitner.

The project was planned and implemented by a local company, CCE (Clean Capital Energy) from Garsten near Steyr. Managing Director Robert Bogner, who has also valued ONachrichten as a print newspaper for years, is also happy with the media company’s sustainability premise, after all, he says, “The energy transition must happen urgently — waiting is a waste of time.”

The fact that opportunities remain untapped bothers him: “For example, when statistics allow, we can long ago equip noise firewalls with photovoltaic modules.”

on protecting the environment

That’s why he’s particularly pleased that companies like ON are taking charge. The demand for the use of large areas of roofs as “power stations” has recently tripled, and in the case of private homes even tenfold. That’s why CCE’s goal is ambitious: “By 2025, we want to produce electricity for 1.5 million households – and that will save 2 million tons of carbon dioxide,” says Bogner. Lukas Rosner, who was in charge of the ON project for CCE, says that despite current delivery bottlenecks, materials are well supplied. “We ordered with insight.” The order books are full.

For ONachrichten, expanding the photovoltaic system is another step towards sustainability: the vehicle fleet is gradually being converted to e-mobility, city search routes are covered on bicycles or e-bikes, rainwater is treated, process heat is used for heating, and the newspaper itself is made of 80 percent recycled paper.