The Solar Advantage

Top view of the bilstein group Engineering. A photovoltaic system can be seen on the roof.

The bilstein group not only focuses on avoiding CO2 emissions—we also generate our own electricity. We have installed photovoltaic (PV) systems on our production hall in Ennepetal and our logistics center in Gelsenkirchen.

Our first PV system began operating in 2017 alongside our new in-house production in Ennepetal. In 2021, the PV system at our new logistics center in Gelsenkirchen was added.

The PV system in Ennepetal, covering approximately 6,000 m², is one of the largest in the Ennepe-Ruhr district. Around 80% of the generated electricity (approximately 600,000 kWh/year) is used for in-house machinery, while the surplus "green" electricity is fed into the general power grid.

The PV system in Gelsenkirchen is also around 6,000 m² in size and consists of 2,200 photovoltaic modules. It can generate over 700,000 kWh of electricity per year. Due to its east-west orientation, the system achieves a self-consumption rate of over 80%.

Together, the two PV systems have a capacity of 749 kWp and can cover the annual electricity demand of 500 households. The cumulative PV self-generated electricity has increased to 8.124 million kWh by 2024.

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