http://www.gehrlicher.com/ en http://www.gehrlicher.com/fileadmin/template/img/gehrlicher_logo_xml.jpg http://www.gehrlicher.com/ 150 55 TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 23 May 2013 11:03:00 +0200 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/gehrlicher-solar-expands-to-mexico/ Leading International Solar PV Integrator Expands North American Market Footprint. Springfield,... Leading International Solar PV Integrator Expands North American Market Footprint. Springfield, N.J. Leveraging its market leading international experience, Gehrlicher Solar announced the company’s expansion into Mexico. Based in Mexico City, the company will work closely with local developers, commercial customers, government agencies and the local utility, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (Federal Electricity Commission) to engineer, procure and construct high performance PV systems specifically for the Mexican market. In addition, Gehrlicher Solar Mexico has the ability to work and assist its developer partners to reduce upfront investment, mitigate risk and shorten project timelines. “After a rapid and successful entry into the US marketplace in the last two years, we are confident our high performance and low cost EPC business model will add significant value to our business partners in the Mexican market. We look forward to supporting Mexico’s solar energy program via our heritage and international experience.” said Stefan Parhofer, Chief Executive Officer for Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. Supporting the launch into the Mexico market, Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. will participate as a silver sponsor in Mexico’s leading renewable energy event, the 2nd Mexican International Renewable Energy Congress (MIREC) to be held on May 29th at the Camino Real Polanco Hotel in Mexico City.
Jesse Jones, Gehrlicher Vice-president of Finance and Development, will speak during conference on “Maximizing Mexican Potential: Lessons from Emerging Markets” on the subject of how to make the most of the Mexican solar energy potential and contribute to reach Mexico’s renewable generation target of 20% by 2016 and 35% by 2035. Press release Printable picture ]]> Press Thu, 23 May 2013 08:00:00 +0200 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/gehrlicher-solar-receives-EUR85-million-group-financing-for-another-two-years-and-adds-new-board-mem/ Photovoltaic company receives financial commitment of another €85 million and appoints Stefan... Photovoltaic company receives financial commitment of another €85 million and appoints Stefan Parhofer and Richard von Hehn to the Board of Directors. Dornach n. Munich. An international group of banks led by BayernLB has provided a financing framework totaling €85 million to Gehrlicher Solar AG, including €30 million for avals (guarantees), for another two years. The mezzanine capital of €6 million was also extended by Bayern Mezzaninekapital GmbH & Co. KG for the same period. The consortium agreement was signed on April 11, 2013 with an unchanged banking syndicate, securing finance for the international solar project developer and system integrator until February 28, 2015. "In spite of a very tough industry environment, we believe more than ever in the long-term potential of photovoltaic and that ultimately convinced our finance partners too," says founder and CEO Klaus Gehrlicher. In 2012 the U.S. business was especially successful, making a significant contribution to group turnover and earnings. To further expand the international project business, on May 2, 2013 Stefan Parhofer was appointed to the Board of Directors as Chief Strategy/Sales Officer (CSO). He has spent the last two years building up the U.S. business as CEO of the American subsidiary, a position he will continue to hold in addition to his new role. Richard von Hehn has also been appointed to the Board as Chief Operating Officer (COO), and will concentrate on the European business. Since joining the company in 2009 he has held various executive positions, including Head of Corporate Strategy and Development and most recently Head of Purchasing and Wholesale. Press release Printable picture ]]> Press Thu, 16 May 2013 09:00:00 +0200 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/gehrlicher-solar-ag-to-start-construction-of-a-solar-park-with-53-mwp-in-a-water-protection-area/ The photovoltaic company is building a ground-mounted system with a total power of 5.3 MWp on the... The photovoltaic company is building a ground-mounted system with a total power of 5.3 MWp on the 110 meter long strip along the railroad route in Neustadt near Coburg. Neustadt/Munich. On 20 March, Gehrlicher Solar AG started construction of the Neustadt-Bahn solar park. The location of this construction poses a particular challenge as it is situated in a water protection area. After extensive surveying and elaborate, detailed planning carried out by Gehrlicher Solar AG, one of the first solar parks was approved in an area of this kind in Bavaria and thus the implementation can now quickly proceed. Due to the extraordinary properties and conditions of the territory, driving at a sufficient depth cannot be effected in subareas and for this reason Gehrlicher Solar has designed a special substructure. This includes custom-built posts and concrete rings on which the substructure GehrTec® Base that was developed in-house is then installed. Furthermore, 27 720 Sunowe solar modules as well as six inverters, made by the market leader SMA, are used which will convert the solar electricity into a grid-compatible alternating current. The solar power system with a nominal capacity of 5.3 MWp runs along the railway line from Coburg to Ernstthal am Rennsteig and is predicted to produce approximately 5.25 million kilowatt hours every year. This covers the demand of over 1,500 three-person households and compared with electricity generation from fossil fuels, it annually saves 4,725 tons of CO₂ from being emitted. "The realization of this project is particularly close to our hearts as one of our offices is situated only a stone's throw away", points out Klaus Gehrlicher, CEO of Gehrlicher Solar AG. "As Gehrlicher Solar AG's vision is to ensure sustainable energy supply exclusively from renewable energies, we wanted to start right on our doorstep and we put extensive and in-depth thought into and focus on the sensitive subject of the water protection area." The solar park will be developed on an overall approx. 11 hectare big area, on which various so-called compensatory measures will be implemented on just under 3 hectares. Thus the ground-mounted system is exemplary for the sensible and environmentally friendly use of the water protection area which was formerly used for agricultural purposes. Commissioning of the solar park is planned for 30 April. Press release Printable picture ]]> Press Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:37:00 +0100 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/gehrlicher-solar-america-corporation-expands-us-footprint/ New regional office in Boston opened to cover North-East markets – 40 MW in Massachusetts and... New regional office in Boston opened to cover North-East markets – 40 MW in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Springfield, N.J. Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. (GSAC) today announced the opening of its newest office in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 40 megawatts (MWp) of projects completed or in process in the Massachusetts and Connecticut markets, GSAC is broadening its regional footprint both in office presence and staffing to meet growing demand. The new facility is located at 15 Broad Street, in the heart of Boston’s financial district in close proximity to its dedicated customer base. “The Boston office reinforces our active involvement in the North East region solar market,” explains Dr. Stefan Parhofer, CEO of Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. “The North-East of the US is a key strategic market and we do expect further growth in this region.” Over the last 12 months, Gehrlicher has continuously expanded its footprint. Back in 2012, Gehrlicher met growing demand on the West Coast with the opening of its business development, engineering and project management center in Tempe, Arizona which currently has several commercial projects in various stages of construction. The location of GSAC’s two new offices is part of the company’s long term strategy in developing and building high performance PV systems for utilities, municipalities, educational institutions and commercial customers across the United States. Press release Printable picture ]]> Press Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:40:00 +0100 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/neoenergia-and-odebrecht-energia-start-construction-of-solar-plant-at-the-arena-pernambuco-soccer-st/ Power plant is part of the Aneel R&D strategy projects for the development of the energy source... Power plant is part of the Aneel R&D strategy projects for the development of the energy source in Brazil. Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. Neoenergia and Odebrecht Energia began the deployment of the solar power plant at the Arena Pernambuco soccer stadium, a project that is part of the Research and Development (R&D) program of the three distributors of the Neoenergia Group; Celpe (state of Pernambuco), Coelba (state of Bahia) and Cosern (state of Rio Grande do Norte). With 1 MWp of installed capacity, equivalent to the average consumption of 6000 Brazilians, the solar plant will cost about 10 million Brazilian Reals, being 9 million Brazilian Reals invested by Neoenergia, through the R&D stategy project of Aneel, and 1.2 million Brazilian Reals invested by Odebrecht Energia, with completion scheduled for June 2013. Located in an area of 14.5 thousand square meters, within the Arena area, the installation of the solar plant is part of the Strategic Project for Research and Development - "Technical and Commercial Arrangements for Insertion of Solar Photovoltaic Generation in the Brazilian Energy Matrix" launched in August 2011 by the National Agency of Electric Energy (ANEEL). Besides the plant, the project includes other research and development investments totaling 24.5 million Brazilian Reals. The photovoltaic solar panels, which make part of the system, capture the light emitted by the sun and transform it into electricity with the aid of an inverter to convert the energy traditionally used in industries and homes. At this point, the produced energy is able to be delivered to the electrical system of the stadium or the conventional distribution network. Besides the usage of a renewable energy source, solar generation systems reduce transmission and distribution line losses, since energy is consumed at the place where it is produced. The deployment and operation of the plant will not result in additional costs to the stadium, being built by Odebrecht Infrastructure. The plant costs are being borne solely by the participating companies of the solar plant. All energy generated will be destined to the Arena Pernambuco stadium. The executive design and installation of the solar photovoltaic power plant will be under the responsibility of Gehrlicher Solar Ecoluz do Brasil, a joint-venture between the Brazilian Ecoluz Participations and the German Gehrlicher Solar AG. Recognized in the national and international market, Gehrlicher Solar has realized large photovoltaic projects in countries such as United States, Germany, Spain and Romania. To develop the basic design of the plant, the Institute of Solar Energy of the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Institute of Electrical and Energy of the University of São Paulo (USP) were hired in addition to the American National Renewable Energy Laboratory – NREL. Press release Printable picture ]]> Press Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:30:00 +0100 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/gehrlicher-solar-america-2012-growth-exceeded-expectations-and-bullish-on-2013/ Revenue increased almost 400% in one year. Springfield, NJ. Only less than two years after... Revenue increased almost 400% in one year. Springfield, NJ. Only less than two years after opening its office in Springfield NJ, Gehrlicher Solar looks back to a successful market entry in the US. For Fiscal 2012, Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. (GSAC) reports revenues of USD 74.1M, an EBIT of USD 2.7M and a positive operating Cash Flow (Results are preliminary and unaudited). Compared to 2011, this relates to a revenue increase of almost 400%. In 2012, GSAC installed 29 MWp in seven different states on the East Coast, from Georgia to Massachusetts, making Gehrlicher hold the record for the largest installed PV systems in Georgia and Connecticut. “This growth, by far, exceeded our expectations”, explains Dr. Stefan Parhofer, CEO of Gehrlicher Solar America Corp., “and we are convinced that this is just the beginning. The US market has become a strategic pillar of our global growth strategy. Although it is certainly not an easy market for an European PV company, we have been able to overcome market challenges thanks to a highly qualified and dedicated team”, Dr. Parhofer continues. In line with the development of the organization, Jerry Shinn, who joined Gehrlicher in 2011 and is currently acting as Chief Project Officer, was appointed as Chief Operating Officer. Gehrlicher Solar is active both in the commercial and the utility scale segment. Its customers include major utilities and energy companies as well as big retailers, such as IKEA of North America, for which GSAC installed over 6 MWp in seven different locations during the past year and is about to complete one more rooftop project in 2013. With many other projects in the backlog, GSAC is optimistic to further grow in the US and adjacent markets. Press release]]> Press Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:50:00 +0100 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/gehrlicher-solar-builds-one-of-the-first-self-consumption-projects-for-a-residential-development-in/ The company has completed the construction of a stand-alone PV mini-grid with a maximum output of... The company has completed the construction of a stand-alone PV mini-grid with a maximum output of 22.5 kWp to supply power to a residential estate in a rural area in Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia, Spain. Madrid, Spain. Gehrlicher Solar Spain has completed a PV "off-grid" installation for a residential development of nine houses in a rural area of Cañada Lentisco that is not connected to the public grid. Thanks to the moderate investment that will be recovered in five years, the settlement will generate its own electricity for at least 30 years and will not suffer from the effects of constantly increasing electricity prices. The system was installed on the roof of a farm building directly adjacent to the housing development, covering approximately 150 m². It will achieve an output of 30 kW with battery support and an estimated yearly output of 21,100 kWh. It is made up of 90 photovoltaic  modules and two STP10000TL SMA inverters as well as six Sunny Island 5048 inverters which have been designed specifically for use with off-grid systems. Gehrlicher has used its own GehrTec® Top roof-top mounting system on the installation, noted for its flexibility with all designs of roof, excellent load capacity, and high resistance to corrosion. However, Gehrlicher Solar was not just responsible for design and construction but will also operate and maintain the installation. The importance of this project for the region lies in the fact that this stand-alone off-grid installation will provide the nine family dwellings smartly with an efficient and sustainable power supply. Therefore this project is a prototype for other electrification projects in rural Spain. Steady increases in fossil fuel prices, coupled with continuous increases in electricity prices, are now making stand-alone energy supply systems a good cost-saving solution for industrial as well as private consumers. Independence from energy providers is a further key benefit, protecting companies and families from increasing electricity prices for a minimum of 30 years, the life expectancy of the installation. Press release Printable picture Technical article PV system Caravaca ]]> Press Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:30:00 +0100 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/gehrlicher-solar-ag-to-build-first-9-mw-solar-park-in-romania/ The photovoltaic company is completing the initial phase of constructing a ground-mounted system... The photovoltaic company is completing the initial phase of constructing a ground-mounted system for Ra Ra Parc SRL, the investor and operator in Isaccea, eastern Romania. Dornach n. Munich. Technical acceptance of the initial construction phase of 800 kWp was already completed in mid-October. The system generating 8.75 MWp of total power will be completed and connected to the grid by November 15. The Romanian private investors who are behind the company Ra Ra Parc SRL as a shareholder have successfully implemented several projects in Romania in renewable energies before, including two wind farms. These investments are supported through the promotion of energy production from renewable sources with green certificates. The solar park located 220 km north east of Bucharest is built on an area measuring 14 hectares overall. In another first, 35,172 modules manufactured by JA Solar will be used in constructing this plant. SMA produced the nine central inverters for converting solar power into gridcompatible direct current. The solar power system is expected to generate around 12 million kilowatt hours of environmentally friendly electricity yearly. Compared to electricity generated from fossil fuels, the plant will save approximately 10,400 tons of CO2 yearly. Klaus Gehrlicher, CEO of Gehrlicher Solar AG explains: "The Isaccea project gave us a chance to impress the investor Ra Ra Parc SRL early on with our many years of experience and capability for rapid realization of international projects. We are very pleased to have been awarded the contract for planning and constructing one of Romania's largest solar parks. Since we are taking over the plant's operation and maintenance, our positive and confident collaboration with this investor geared toward sustainability will result in longterm local engagement." Thus, Gehrlicher Solar is working on a parallel project for the investor Ra Ra, a 536 kWp rooftop system in Brasov, while other, subsequent projects are still in the planning stages. The successful implementation of these projects is paving the way for additional Gehrlicher Solar photovoltaic systems in Romania. Recognizing the significance of the Romanian market, Gehrlicher Solar AG will also participate as an exhibitor at RENEXPO® SOUTH-EAST EUROPE from November 21 to 23, 2012 in Bucharest. RENEXPO® SOUTH-EAST EUROPE is the largest trade show in the field of renewable energy sources in Romania and also one of the largest energy platforms in the southeastern region of Europe. Press release Printable picture ]]> Press Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:37:00 +0100 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/successful-lga-approval-for-the-roof-mounted-system-gehrtecR-top/ Dornach n. Munich. The Landesgewerbeanstalt Bayern (LGA), a public-law corporation accredited for... Dornach n. Munich. The Landesgewerbeanstalt Bayern (LGA), a public-law corporation accredited for structural analysis and mechanical stability testing, has tested and certified the module mounting system GehrTec® Top in August 2012. The test report S-WUE 070466 confirms once again the high quality and mechanical stability of the GehrTec® system which is both internally-developed and selfmanufactured. Currently there are very few suppliers in the market that can prove such an LGA certification for their mounting systems. Moreover, with GehrTec® Top a high degree of pre-installation is possible and, due to the few system parts, results in extremely low material and labour costs and optimized profitability. The installer appreciates the legal certainty provided by the LGA type test that the dimensioning of the mounting system design conforms to all relevant norms and regulations. In some public sector construction projects, mandatory and often timeintensive structural auditing requirements of the applied calculation methods are also no longer required, as the type testing releases the supervisory authorities from this requirement. With respect to the instructions publicized in May 2012 by the German Institute for Construction Technology (DIBt) for photovoltaic plants, this is a further step to adherence to the construction requirements (product and dimensioning regulations) and the defining of photovoltaic systems as engineered structures. GehrTec® Top is a flexible, scalable roof-top installation system, suitable for a wide range of roof top types. All components “made in Germany” are of high quality aluminum and stainless steel (ISO standard). Thanks to its high load-bearing ability the GehrTec® Top fulfills the DIN 1055. Moreover the high quality system parts are distinguished by their high resistance to corrosion, guaranteeing an especially long life of the entire system design. Press release Printable picture ]]> Press Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:37:00 +0200 http://www.gehrlicher.com/de/home/press/details/article/inauguration-of-solar-park-perleberg/ End of August 2012 Gehrlicher Solar AG has connected the solar park Perleberg to the grid by using... End of August 2012 Gehrlicher Solar AG has connected the solar park Perleberg to the grid by using its own transformer station. On 15 October 2012 the official inauguration took place together with Hans Rothbauer, deputy mayor of the city Perleberg, and the district administrator of Prignitz Hans Lange. The financing partner KGAL was represented by Mr. Andreas Ochsenkühn, Head of Asset Class photovoltaics. He pointed out in his speech that they want to be a reliable and predictable partner the region. Klaus Gehrlicher, CEO of Gehrlicher Solar AG, welcomed the numerous invited guests and said: "The realization of this solar park was not easy at times. The more we are pleased about the successful completion in just ten weeks of construction. I would therefore like to thank all participants very much for the excellent cooperation and the great support." The solar power system with 35 MWp nominal capacity is expected to produce about 33 million kilowatt hours of environmentally friendly solar power annually, an amount sufficient to cover the needs of around 9,300 three-person households. Gehrlicher Solar was responsible for the engineering and construction of the solar park and after the commissioning assumes responsibility for operation and maintenance as from now. Just one day earlier - on Sunday, 14 th of October- a “open day” was organized for the citizens of the region. Many interested people came to take the opportunity to enjoy the view of the solar park from a 15m high lifting platform and catch up information about solar energy as well as the technical details and the functioning of the power plant on guided tours. The gastronomical well-being on both days was served by the Aero Club e.V. Perleberg. ]]> News Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:57:00 +0200