The DRÄXLMAIER Group, together with the Minister for Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger, opened its own power generation facility at the company’s headquarters in Vilsbiburg.
The mobility transition and the associated electromobility is a major challenge for the automotive industry. As a supplier to the premium automotive industry, the DRÄXLMAIER Group has its finger on the pulse and is actively involved in the development and production of new e-mobility concepts. As another key element on the way to more sustainable mobility, the DRÄXLMAIER Group has now invested in the construction of what is currently the largest photovoltaic system with a connected charging infrastructure in Germany. With an area of around 7,000 square meters and a peak output of 1.28 megawatts, the photovoltaic system installed in Vilsbiburg is capable of supplying around 350 charging points with pure solar energy every day. This means that both electric company vehicles and electric cars can obtain particularly environmentally friendly electricity from employees. “With the completion of the new photovoltaic system, which we implemented without subsidies, we are actively supporting the attractiveness and spread of electromobility, and at the same time have set an important piece in the mosaic for achieving our ambitious sustainability goals,” said Chairman Fritz Dräxlmaier during the commissioning. He emphasized that the mobility turnaround will only succeed if politicians are emphatically and energetically committed to the energy turnaround and the necessary infrastructure. and at the same time have set an important piece in the mosaic for achieving our ambitious sustainability goals, ”said Chairman Fritz Dräxlmaier during the commissioning. He emphasized that the mobility turnaround will only succeed if politicians are emphatically and energetically committed to the energy turnaround and the necessary infrastructure. and at the same time have set an important piece in the mosaic for achieving our ambitious sustainability goals, ”said Chairman Fritz Dräxlmaier during the commissioning. He emphasized that the mobility turnaround will only succeed if politicians are emphatically and energetically committed to the energy turnaround and the necessary infrastructure.
Strong in electrification and sustainability
The issues of climate and environmental protection have always been very important to DRÄXLMAIER. DRÄXLMAIER is following the example of the federal government and has pledged to be climate neutral by 2050.
In order to put this goal into practice, numerous environmental protection and sustainability projects are being promoted at all DRÄXLMAIER Group locations worldwide. To this end, the DRÄXLMAIER Group relies on renewable energies, among other things, in order to make a contribution to the global <1.5 ° target.
The commissioning of the photovoltaic system in Vilsbiburg is therefore in the context of the company’s global catalog of measures. “The new system alone can produce around 560 tons of CO 2 per yearcan be saved. The electricity not only flows into the batteries in the parked vehicles, but is also used for general operation of the site. In addition, pure green electricity is obtained from external providers. In future, the Vilsbiburg site will cover 100 percent of its electricity needs from renewable resources, ”explains Fritz Dräxlmaier. In addition, DRÄXLMAIER is consistently expanding its own electric vehicle fleet and is increasingly setting up new charging points that even have a WLAN connection for vehicle updates. All German locations already have charging facilities for e-cars.
Innovative solar roof concept
With its innovative roof construction made of translucent photovoltaic elements from the manufacturer SOLARWATT, the solar roof of the car park installed by the general contractor HÖRMANN at the DRÄXLMAIER location in Vilsbiburg not only offers technical highlights. For employees who use the top parking deck, the roofing also increases comfort. In the summer months in particular, solar radiation is reduced to a comfortable level so that the interiors of parked vehicles heat up much less than would be the case without roofing. Significantly fewer resources are therefore used to air-condition the interior of the parked cars to a comfortable temperature. At the same time, enough light falls through the roof structure during the day to create a pleasant atmosphere on the parking deck even without artificial lighting.
Numerous advantages can also be expected in winter: The roof protects parked vehicles from wind and snow. As a result, the use of road salt to secure the traffic routes can be largely dispensed with.
Extensive investments in the Vilsbiburg location
In 2020, in addition to the construction of the new car park roof with a photovoltaic system, numerous other construction projects were completed at the DRÄXLMAIER headquarters in Vilsbiburg. For example, the company restaurant was modernized in order to be able to offer the employees at the site even better service in the future. In addition, a new driveway was created on the east side of the company premises, through which trucks can be routed more easily in future. This ensures a better distribution of the traffic.
“With the investments in the Vilsbiburg location, DRÄXLMAIER is making a clear commitment to Lower Bavaria as a business location. This strengthens the region and increases its attractiveness for highly qualified specialists. I am also extremely pleased that with the new photovoltaic system in conjunction with the numerous installed charging stations for electric vehicles, sustainable mobility solutions can be used directly on site “, said the Bavarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economics Hubert Aiwanger during the commissioning on October 16, 2020.
SOURCE: DRÄXLMAIER
