One year after installing nearly 3,000 solar panels that cover 52,000 square feet of roof surface on its production facility in Sevelen, Switzerland, Schoeller Textil AG was able to produce 950,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of solar energy and utilize 85 percent of that energy for its own operations.
“At 950,000 kWh, we have exceeded the anticipated average annual output of 865,000 kWh by around 10 percent,” Rolf Landolt, head of engineering at Schoeller, said.
The annual production of the 2,838 solar modules equates to the average energy consumption of approximately 238 households, the company noted. Schoeller said the installation resulted in significant budget savings for the company. The remaining 15 percent of the energy is fed back into the electricity grid and used by external consumers in the community.
The bottom line, Schoeller said, is that not only does the use of solar energy benefit the environment, but the installation will also have paid for itself within seven to eight years.
“The intention behind the rather substantial investment of approximately 700,000 Swiss francs ($756,920) was to reduce the high electricity costs with the aid of a sustainable energy source,” said Siegfried Winkelbeiner, CEO of Schoeller Textil. “The decision to invest in a more ecological future was taken as far back as November 2018, but a partial refurbishment of the roof had to be done before the solar panels were installed.”
The professional installation of the solar plant was carried out by the local specialists Heizplan from Gams.
Schoeller Textil is a global textile company that specializes in the development and manufacturing of functional fabrics and textile technologies for athletic, outdoor, fashion and workwear categories. Founded more than 150 years ago, Schoeller calls upon its vast experience working with the most advanced equipment in compliance with the Bluesign environmental system. concerns. The entire production chain is scrutinized, from the raw material to the finished product.