A business powered by the sun

Be as self-sufficient as possible! For Robert Wagner, authorised signatory of Diermeier Energie GmbH and his team, this is the intended goal for the new company headquarters in Niederwinkling, Lower Bavaria, Germany. When planning the new building complex, together with heating engineers and electrical planners, the main focus was on an energy system that is as sustainable and efficient as possible. To help achieve this, Diermeier brought BayWa r.e. onboard as the project developer.

Since the company’s relocation in winter 2020/21, Diermeier Energie GmbH has been using solar power from its own roof for electricity and heat supply. Among other things, battery and water storage and a heat pump are being used. With the next step the integration of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles will be tackled. 

Heat supply is mainly achieved via a 60-kW heat pump and electricity for this is supplied by the company’s own 280-kWp PV system on the roof. Heat generation is also supported by heating rods in the water storage which is only required when temperatures are at their coldest. The hot water itself is supplied via flow heaters.

In times of “surplus production” on the part of the PV system, the electricity is temporarily stored in a stationary storage unit with 30 kW / 61 kWh and recalled when required.

To control the use of the power generated by the solar installation a dedicated energy management system is used. This system will also take over the load management of the charging infrastructure in the future. If the battery and water storage are fully charged, then the solar power is fed into the public grid. In the event that electricity has to be purchased, this is done via a green electricity tariff.

The BayWa r.e. team supplied the PV and electricity storage system as an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) and ensured the correct configuration of the energy management system. Furthermore, BayWa r.e. ensures the longevity of the system and smooth operation through a monitoring and maintenance service.

Realising an energy concept that is as sustainable as possible – for Diermeier Energie GmbH this already included implementing the building shell of the office and lubricant warehouse with high insulation values. The LED lighting in the warehouse is designed for low energy consumption – and the lighting can be controlled separately and specifically for individual areas of the warehouse. The goal is to avoid energy consumption in the first place, using energy from renewable sources and at the same time, utilising the highest possible energy efficiency rate. 

Diermeier Energie GmbH attaches great importance to this “rule of three” when it comes to supplying electricity, heat and hot water, alongside offering employees and customers an infrastructure for e-mobility. Two publicly accessible fast-charging stations as well as wall boxes for the Diermeier car fleet are being built.