Audi and E.ON put Europe's largest rooftop PV plant into operation
12MW installation on top of carmaker’s Hungarian site is part of Audi’s strategy to reach climate-neutrality in manufacturing by 2025
German utility E.ON and Volkswagen unit Audi have put what they claim is Europe’s largest rooftop PV solar system into operation as the carmaker seeks climate-neutrality in manufacturing by 2025.
The 12MWp installation on the roofs of two logistics centres at Audi’s Györ site in Hungary is composed of 35,000 solar modules and covers an area of around 160,000 square metres.
“Our goal is clear: By 2025, all Audi sites should work on a CO2-neutral basis,” said Audi Production board member Peter Kössler.
“By converting our factories to renewable energies, we are making an important contribution to climate protection.”
Audi’s commitment to reach climate-neutrality comes amid one of the most dramatic transformation of Germany’s huge car industry that has clung to combustion-engine cars for too long and now is racing to catch up to electronic vehicles producers from China and the US.
The solar array on the rooftop of Audi’s Györ site will generate over 9.5 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, enough to supply 5,000 households with power.
“This project represents in many ways what’s needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To do so, we need to rebuild the energy systems in urban areas and in the industry toward CO2-neutral systems,” E.ON board member Karsten Wildberger said.
“I consider the project with our partner Audi to be an important step in our endeavour to create the sustainable energy world of tomorrow and hope that it will be followed by further projects of this kind.”