Shattendorf as a role model

Germany flirts with the energy transition

Hergovich, Hoffmann, Cecere and Sharma (from left) inspecting the flagship project "Sonnenpark".(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

Burgenland is regarded as a pioneer in the use of wind and solar power. The Schattendorf solar park is attracting attention across Europe as a model project. Now even an ambassador is checking its success on site.

More attention is being paid to the use of alternative energy sources in Austria than anywhere else, especially in Burgenland. The technical expansion is progressing rapidly. On sunny days, Austria covers up to 98.44 percent of its electricity needs itself.

15 megawatts on 15 hectares
Austria's largest energy community is located in Schattendorf. The flagship model is the new solar park - almost 15 megawatts of electricity output on 15 hectares! That makes an impression far beyond the country's borders.

In Schattendorf, we are showing what the future of energy looks like - and that it has already begun today.

Bürgermeister Thomas Hoffmann

Park provides great services
The photovoltaic park, together with the wind turbines in Baumgarten, provides a great service as a hybrid system, making optimum use of the grid connection. At the same time, the electricity generated by the PV system flows into the Schattendorf energy community.

"Independent of energy and market prices"
"500 households are supplied with solar power from their own community. This makes them independent of energy and market prices," says Stephan Sharma, CEO of Burgenland Energie. In addition, CMBlu Energy, an organic storage system, is being tested at the site for the first time worldwide. "So that we can also use the sun's electricity at night in Schattendorf," says Hoffmann.

The Schattendorf solar park is regarded as a model project - right across Europe.(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

Wind farm as a cooperation
This progress is closely linked to companies from Germany: The storage system is a German invention, the PV park features inverters and substructures from German companies. Even the wind farm was built in cooperation with a German company.

11,690 tons

This is how much CO2 the energy from the solar park helps to save, calculated over its entire lifetime. The plant delivers 14.7 megawatts of installed power.

"Attention across all borders"
"I am proud of that. It is important to me to see this energy transition first-hand," emphasized Vito Cecere, the German ambassador in Vienna, during his visit with Robert Hergovich, President of the Provincial Parliament: "Much of what is being implemented in Burgenland is attracting attention across all borders in Europe. This is clearly evident in the use of renewable energies." Saving tips on top.