The 4.5 megawatt solar power system from SolarWorld was now inaugurated with a low-level celebratory flyover by the Airbus 380 at the airport of the southern French city. In the future, 16,000 SolarWorld solar power modules (SW Sunmodule plus 280 mono) will generate about 6.2 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity per year. In addition, electric cars can recharge using the power of the sun at two solar vehicle charging stations.
The airport challenge: Solar modules have to be completely free of reflection
The group, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, carries out production in Germany and the USA. From raw material silicon to solar wafers, cells and modules, SolarWorld manages all stages of production ‒ including its own research and development.
To install a solar power system on such a large scale at an airport, however, was a particularly interesting challenge since it was impossible to use standard modules here. To ensure the safety of the air traffic, the solar modules that cover an equivalent of 1,800 parking spaces have to be completely free of any reflection. For this reason, SolarWorld completely adapted the entire lamination process and equipped the modules with thicker, non-reflective glass.
Realization of the biggest solar power system at an airport is a group effort
A consortium comprising the companies Energies du Sud, La Compagnie du Vent (ENGIE Group), the Caisse des Dépôts and the airport Montpellier Méditerranée was established especially for the ambitious ecological project. The French subsidiary SolarWorld France S.A.S. headquartered in Grenoble was charged with the project implementation.
