The project planner CSAE from Wolfsburg has installed a photovoltaic system measuring around 3,000 square metres on part of the parking deck of the zoo in Hannover. The company specialises in the construction of commercial and industrial solar energy systems. The materials for the system were supplied by wholesaler Sonepar.
The new solar energy system, which will be fully operational in the spring, will generate around 548,000 kilowatt hours of solar power per year. This will be used almost entirely by the zoo for its operations.
Four weeks of construction
This is not the first solar energy system that Hannover Zoo has had installed. A system on the roof of the Gemeinschaftshaus and a second solar generator on the grandstand in the Canada-themed world ‘Yukon Bay’ have been supplying electricity to the zoo for quite some time.
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The realisation of the new photovoltaic system was supported by the Hannover region. This is because CSAE took part in the tender through which the region promotes solar energy systems. The company's project was also accepted. After the acceptance, the concrete planning and installation progressed quickly. Within just four weeks, the generator was on the roof of the parking deck – much faster than expected. The zoo had originally calculated a construction time of three months. But the modules were already on the roof before the beginning of winter in 2024.
All components from a single source
Sonepar supplied a total of 1,650 solar panels, the associated mounting hardware, all solar cables and six inverters for the system. In addition, a power analyser and lightning and surge protection were installed, which also came from Sonepar.
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Thanks to the reliable delivery of the materials, the project partners were able to ensure that the plant was completed within the short time frame. ‘Our aim is to offer specialist companies an absolutely reliable supply of materials and to relieve them of as much work as possible,’ emphasises Sven-Patrick Pankla, field representative at Sonepar Germany. ‘That's why we delivered the goods directly to the construction site at the zoo to save CSAE additional logistical effort.’
Site facilities supplied
The wholesaler's Support & Service department also provided all the site facilities that CSAE would otherwise have had to organise separately. These included site fencing, a barrier and safety fence, as well as material and room containers, including furnishings.
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With this additional service, Sonepar is positioning itself as a provider of complete construction solutions. ‘Our goal is to support the specialist companies in the best possible way and to take work off their hands so that they can concentrate on the most important thing: the installation,’ says Sven-Patrick Pankla. ‘That's why we offer our customers everything from a single source to make their work easier.’ (su/hcn)
