Nov 8

Success Story: Langweid Solar Power Plant
sunselex_gu_langweid

With a long years’ expertise, SUNSELEX AG is capable of planing and building solar parks with high earnings prospects and good and safe yields, quite attractive for private and institutional investors. In order for that to be possible we realize our turnkey solar plants only on the most suitable sites for photovoltaics. Here is an example:

Our newest SUNSELEX Solar Park
To a gentle slope in Langweid, fifteen kilometers north of the City of Augsburg, Germany, nestles a 24.7-acres shining cover of solar modules. Only recently finished, the 1.55 MWp solar park already is an exceptional success story. While planning, our experts took into account the cooling due to the exposed position on top of a ridge and predicted a positive performance effect. After a successful test run in September 2011 these high expectations were fully met and even at times exceeded. Despite the weakening autumn sun the plant consistently achieved peak performances.

The reasons are obvious: SUNSELEX AG uses only the best performing components for planning and building a solar power plant. Langweid Solar Park is fitted with the newest range of SMA Centrals. These solar inverters of the new CP generation meet all known requirements of network management systems and are characterised by their high efficiency. In addition, a modern monitoring system for measuring operational, environmental, and performance parameters with worldwide live access is installed. Solely genuine and complete batches of polycrystalline Canadian Solar Modules with an output of 230 Wp each have been mounted, and last but not least, to prevent damage from grazing of our “Gardening Sheep” and provide a safe and sound habitat for the flock all wiring is carefully covered. Indeed, an overall sophisticated success story!

Plant data:
Type of plant:  Open space
Modules:  6720 cristalline modules
Sub-construction:  280 pcs.
Ramming foundation: 1680 pcs.

May 31

Sunselex and a Flock of Sheep
Sunselex und die Schafe

In Germany’s Nature Conservation Standards for Renewables nature friendly landscape maintenance plans and measures are required to add significant agroecological value to large solar plants. Thus, in addition to green electricity the power plants will generate flowers and blossoms, providing attractive sites for numerous insects and optimising the habitat of plants and birds. To achieve this goal an extensive management (no fertilisers or plant protecting agents used, with only one to two mowings per year) is suggested.

As for the mowing under solar panels sheep can do a pretty good job. With traditional grazing the whole area is sustainably maintained. Simultaneously the animals can play an important role in the biotope network: With plant seeds and small animals transported in its fleeces and droppings a flock of sheep is able to bring new species even to isolated areas. This is an extremely important contribution to biodiversity.

However, the sheep in one of Sunselex’s large solar plants have their own view on what is “transport of plant seeds” – shown in the pictures below. Although we can say that the flock normally is a quite ambitious “landscaping team”.

Impressionen

Apr 14

Constructing a Solar Park in India
Sunselex baut Solarpark in Indien

“Every European who comes to India will learn patience when he has none, and will lose it when he had it.”

What does this Indian saying mean to Sunselex’s specialists? Most of all it means mastering enormous challenges in order to carry out this particular project successfully. The mission: Realise a solar park of 5,120 foundations using pile driving and some 32,000 solar panels built into a saltmarsh in South-West India. However, the time slot is short. In India monsoon season usually starts in early June with the well-known and often very strong downpours. This, together with the blistering heat in the southern state of Gujarat creates difficult working conditions.

Furthermore, there were also demands on the logistic experts at the Sunselex headquarters in Munich, Germany: The volumes transported in India undergo rapid grow owing to globalization. Today turnaround times in India’s ports are about four times that of Western ports. Sometimes it takes weeks before a container can be transported to its destination. “Take some time” is a classic phrase in India.

Perfect planning is essential

As always Sunselex meets the challenges with years of international experience and a qualified well-established team. Months ago 3.5 tons of hydraulic equipment were already disassembled and shipped. In addition, all kinds of spare parts, a sufficient supply of sunblocker, and protective clothing was packed in to cope with every eventuality. At the same time typical Indian cottages were rent for the engineers, with the added benefit of an urgently needed aircondition. And of course, two month of catering with lunch “on site” had to be ordered.

As of today, the big pile driver is ready to use, work at the new photovoltaic solar energy plant has started. On their arrival local girls had painted a “bindi”, a red dot on the foreheads of the Sunselex engineers. This blessing along with Sunselex’s know how – surely something good will come of this.

Apr 11

Sunselex Building Sites
Sunselex Projekt in Indien

“We love challenges” is Sunselex’s motto and we would like to introduce you to the latest ones here.

Turnow-Preilack II (Germany) approx. 17,8 MWp

Terrain type: former military area (military training area)
Services: Pile driving (approx. 18,100 pile foundation), mechanical assembly frame benches (approx. 4,530 units at 50 modules), mechanical assembly solar modules (Thin film – number approx. 226,500 modules)

Jabel (Germany) approx. 17.3 MWp

Terrain type: Conversion areas:
Services: Pile driving (approx. 13,600 pile foundation), mechanical assembly frame benches (approx. 4,400 units at 50 modules), mechanical assembly solar modules (Thin film – number approx. 220,000 modules)

Langweid (Germany) approx. 1.6 MWp

Turnkey facility
Services: Terrain preparation, delivery and assembly of fence and gate system, ground and civil engineering work, mechanical assembly for frame and modules, supply of frame and pillars, supply of inverter and modules, electrical assembly.

India approx. 2.46 MWp

Terrain type: Open space, field
Services: Pile driving (approx. 5,120 pile foundation), mechanical assembly frame benches (approx. 640 units at 50 modules), mechanical assembly solar modules (Thin film – number approx. 32,000 modules)

Caudos (France) approx. 8.5 MWp

Services: Pile driving (approx. 6,966 pile foundation), mechanical assembly frame benches (approx. 1,680 units at 22 modules), mechanical assembly solar modules (crystalline – number approx. 36,960 modules)

Impressionen

Apr 11

Big Mama – Sunselex Machinery is Growing
Sunselex Big Mama Bohrgerät

With a new green machine Sunselex has significantly increased it’s capacities.

For about half a million Euro a new custom-built drilling machine was ordered from a market leading geothermal drilling equipment company to satisfy Sunselex’s high demands. However, geothermal drilling centres on great depth, whereas a high number of holes is essential for photovoltaic power plant construction. That’s why the specialists developed “Big Mama”, a sophisticated rock drilling machine that perfectly meets the solar plant engineers’ specific requirements. With a one of a kind drill diameter of 300mm and a compressor output of 10 bar Sunselex now drills 80 to 120 holes a day into rock and granite, twice the number common machines could do.
Therefore, Big Mama is one of the biggest and strongest rock drills on the market and is certainly living up to its name. Due to special adjustments to the derrick and crawler tracks it is also in a position to drill in any direction – even on slopes of up to 15°. In comparison: Up to now, only 5° to 7° were possible. Using an unusually strong down-the-hole-hammer drill pipe the machine reaches the required depth in only one drill process and then continues on to the next drill location without the need to unload the derrick, both saving valuable time when realising German solar constructor’s large solar projects.

Besides all technical innovations Big Mama represents Sunselex’s two major principles: Sustainability and environmental responsibility. By implementing an extraction unit to collect the drill granulate transported to the surface by the drill hammer’s pressurised air, pollution due to fine dust is reduced and the drill granulate can easily be used to fill the drill hole.
A thoughtful, clean situation. Typically Sunselex!

Basic data:

Max. drill diameter 300mm
Max. drill depth 2,500mm
Capacity 80-120 drill holes per day
Weight of machine about 9,500kg
Special transporter for drill and compressor