How a Kalkar-based surface technology specialist balances its carbon footprint with profitability
Rupert Schröer, Managing Director of SWT Oberflächentechnik GmbH, was convinced of the benefits of solar energy – but the quotes he had received to date lacked reliable figures on cost-effectiveness. In PV² Energie, he found a partner that designed a custom system based on a detailed analysis of the company’s electricity usage profile and the suitability of the site. Instead of investing himself, Schröer opted for the lease model: PV² Energie built and financed the plant. SWT leases it, reducing the amount of electricity it purchases and lowering its electricity costs by 50 to 60 percent without tying up its own capital. Impressed by this first project, SWT later decided to expand the system – once again in partnership with PV² Energie.
Key facts and figures about the solar system
Location: Kalkar, Germany
Output: 1,006 kWp
Type of system: roof-mounted system
Commissioning: 05/19, 07/21
PV² Energie services: design, construction, financing, leasing under the lease model
Special features: electricity costs reduced by 50–60%, none of the customer’s’ capital tied up, and the system was later expanded
Project features and challenges
This is how the PV² Energie Managing Directors describe their approach:
We examine the physical conditions, that is the available roof or unused land, their orientation, and suitability, and conduct a detailed analysis of the electricity usage profile. The result is a detailed report that forecasts how much electricity a solar system will generate at a given location and how much of that the customer can consume.
— Phillip Küpper, Managing Director, PV² Energie
We place a high value on conservative and honest analysis and advice. The customer can rest assured that the system will produce as a minimum the amount of electricity we have calculated.
— Chris Hannen, Managing Director, PV² Energie
Highlights & project insights
What our client says about this project
In our case, the lease model is an attractive solution. We did not need to tie up our liquidity in the solar system; instead, we can invest in our core business and, most recently, in the expansion of the company.
Rupert Schröer, Managing Director, SWT Oberflächentechnik GmbH
Publications & press reports on this project
Read more about this project in an article published in Münsterland Manager: “Improve the carbon footprint, reduce energy costs”.