E-T-A’s XXL photovoltaic roof system
In January 2012 E-T-A has put a new large photovoltaic system into operation. It is the fourth and the biggest PV system on the E-T-A premises. At the opening ceremony, Managing Director Dr. Clifford Sell very impressively pointed out E-T-A’s environmental and ecological awareness. “For several decades we have been making intensive efforts to design both our products and our production processes as ecologically as possible. Hence a wide usage of renewable energies is only a logical result.”
The new system consists of 2,120 modules with 125 Wp nominal power each. This amounts to a total nominal power of 265 kWp. In order to connect the great number of individual components, cable lengths of approx. 12 kilometres were required. Three roofs of E-T-A factory buildings are now covered with solar collectors. The total weight of the entire system is 58 tons and covers an area of 3,400 square metres.
18 power inverters change the d.c. current into a.c. current, the system’s output of 230,550 kWH would suffice to supply 60 residential homes with electrical power. To be on the safe side, E-T-A of course installed their own new products for the photovoltaic market. 36 E-T-A Power DC Disconnects were mounted to ensure reliable disconnection in case of emergency, for instance to protect firemen in the event of a fire.
The following figures illustrate the contribution of photovoltaic systems to environmental protection in times of climate change and global warming: annual CO2 reduction achieved by the photovoltaic system is 150 tons, this means an annual volume expansion of approx. 76,000 m³ pure CO2 (3000 tons and 1,520,000 m³ in 20 years).