The solar energy company SOLON is celebrating a milestone: Since the start of production in 1997, solar modules with a total capacity of one gigawatt have been manufactured. This is equivalent to the power of an average nuclear power plant. All SOLON solar modules together provide enough energy to supply more than half a million people with electricity, approximately equal to a city the size of Stuttgart. Today, Berlins Mayor Klaus Wowereit in person produced and tested the landmark module.
SOLON is a pioneer in the industry, who has set the standard with its products from the beginning, said Klaus Wowereit in the SOLON production hall in Berlin-Adlershof. With this, the company is an important pillar of the solar location Berlin-Brandenburg, which has created over 5,000 direct jobs and another 30,000 in supplier companies. Stefan Säuberlich, CEO of SOLON, explained the goal and history of the company: We want to contribute to the energy supply of the future with high-quality, environmentally friendly solar technology. PV plays a decisive role in this.
After beginning with manual production in a courtyard in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg, the breakthrough was achieved in 1999: SOLON was awarded the order to supply photovoltaics to various new buildings for the federal government, which at that time was moving from Bonn to Berlin.
One year previously, SOLON had become the first German solar energy company to be listed on the stock market. A further milestone in the companys history is the large-scale solar power plant Gut Erlasee in Bavaria, which was completed in 2006. With a 12-megawatt capacity, this PV power station at the time the worlds largest provided proof that photovoltaic electricity can be produced at the scale of a conventional power plant, and even supply entire cities.
SOLON modules are now in use around the world: They generate power in many countries across Europe, as well as in the USA, Canada, Chile, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. They produce solar power on the rooftops of houses and bus terminals, on factory roofs, in desert areas, on steep slopes, and even on former launch pads.
Mayor Wowereit and SOLON CEO Säuberlich personally lent a hand during the production of the 1 Gigawatt Module and then signed it, together with all of the production staff. To commemorate the event, Stefan Säuberlich presented the Mayor a solar module in the shape of Berlin.
