Printing house in Germany relies on sun instead of diesel

Together with our partners Krisch Energietechnik GmbH and DHYBRID, we have installed a 95 kWp PV system on top of a production hall of the Regler printing centre in Altenstadt an der Waldnaab (Upper Palatinate). The special thing about it: The photovoltaic system relieves a diesel generator, which the printing company uses to meet its high power requirements. Thus, it creates maximum independence from the electricity supplier and lowers its high energy costs.

In Germany, too, diesel generators do not only run as an emergency power
Regler printing centre is one of the leading technical specialist printing houses in Germany and prints almost everything except paper. Aside from conventional screen and textile printing, the company primarily focuses on high-quality large format digital printing for example for advertising signs, banners and trade fair systems. Up to now, during production times, a diesel generator covered the very high power consumption of about 350,000 kWh per year. This resulted in the printing plant making itself independent of the local energy provider and also meant that it could use the waste heat from the generator to heat the production halls and generate process heat. In summer 2017 the production process was further modernised and prepared for the future. Our Premium Partner Krisch Energietechnik GmbH installed a PV system with a nominal output of 95.4 kWp on top of one of the halls. The system will reduce the burden on the diesel generator’s electricity production from now on.

Diesel Hybrid system
This means that the PV system will not only significantly reduce the amount of fuel required, but it will also prevent the diesel unit from becoming overloaded due to peak loads. A hybrid controller by DHYBRID is used to connect the solar energy system to the unit. The controller provides the generator with the optimum photovoltaic capacity at all times and ensures that it runs in conjunction with the solar energy system without any interference.

DHYBRID has been a partner of us since 2016. Together we have already worked on many projects together, especially in African, Asian and Caribbean countries. But the installation of the printing centre is the first, in which DHYBRID has optimized a commercially used diesel generator system in Europe.

Storage system planned
A lithium-ion storage system is already being discussed for the coming year as an addition to an enhanced PV system. The capacity of the current diesel generator set will soon be reached. Peak loads are also reached several times a day due to production reasons. These could be offset with the power generated by the PV system and stored in the storage system. The storage system would be charged again by the PV system or the diesel generator in periods where there is a reduced load. This would avoid having to purchase a second diesel generator.

Erich Regler, Managing Director of the printing centre is delighted: “We have been trying to make ourselves independent of connection and purchase costs since 1984. We successfully took the first step with a cogeneration solution back then and we have now found another excellent solution with the installation of the solar energy system. We are therefore once again a technological pioneer in the German printing sector and are also committed to protecting the environment.”

At this point: Congratulations to Mr. Regler on this exceptional PV plant.

Leave a Comment