A special photovoltaic system has recently been activated on the roof of the wholesale market hall at Industrial Park North. The solar power generated there benefits all commercial tenants there. The so-called tenant power model shows how companies can profit from solar power, even if they only rent buildings. It is the 'first tenant electricity model' in Freiburg's commercial sector. The environmental protection office of the city of Freiburg is therefore supporting the project with 5,000 euros, according to city officials.
The operator of the plant is Solargeno, a cooperative that is also financing the plant. Construction cost amounted to some €35,000. The electricity will be supplied to Großmarkt Freiburg Ltd at a favorable, fixed price for the next five years; subsequent adjustments will be linked to the electricity price index. Großmarkt Freiburg Ltd, which had been considering the idea of installing a solar system on its roof for some time, will pass the energy on to its tenants. The concept of the tenant electricity model certainly convinced the shareholders. The limited company rents out storage space to independent traders and producers, who in the future will be able to keep their fresh produce cool using solar power.
The project was realized in close cooperation between the managing director of the wholesale market, Sabine Fey, the shareholders of Großmarkt Freiburg Ltd, the environmental protection agency and the solar citizen cooperative Solargeno from Freiburg. There is just one slight disappointment: The plant was originally supposed to be twice the size. However, limited feed-in capacities to the power grid in the Robert-Bunsen-Strasse and corresponding regulations in the Renewable Energy Sources Act only allow for capped power generation. In order to overcome these technical as well as legislative hurdles, legislative changes at the federal level are urgently needed.
Emergence of a green industrial park
The Green Industry Park Freiburg initiative can be seen as a model for the rest of Germany: a "green industrial area" is being created in the north of Freiburg, which is being actively developed to be climate-friendly. The goal is to support companies in Freiburg's commercial and industrial areas to produce goods in a forward-looking manner, with lower energy usage and less consumption of resources.
The wholesale market has a rich tradition in Freiburg. It is quite important for the city and the region today, certainly for the supply of regional fruit, vegetables and flowers.
For more information: grossmarkt-freiburg.de