News

We would like to extend a warm welcome to all members of the press and media, and we are delighted that you are taking an interest in F&S solar and its projects. On this and on the following pages, you will find all information, in concise form, about the company and its current projects. You can access video files, catalogues, brochures and other files, which you are also welcome to download. If using photographs and quotations, we would kindly ask that you acknowledge the sources. We would also be delighted if you would include a link to our website when reporting on F&S solar (www.fs-sun.com).

• • Solarpark Lutstrut sunning in the profit

    02. Juli 2016

    Members of the civil power cooperative Abtsgmünd eG can look forward to four per cent dividend, as the solar park Lustrut achieved a very good result thanks to good solar radiation in 2015. The cooperative BürgerEnergie Abtsgmünd recently held its General Assembly in Gerlachsheim. The chairman Joachim…

    Members of the civil power cooperative Abtsgmünd eG can look forward to four per cent dividend, as the solar park Lustrut achieved a very good result thanks to good solar radiation in 2015.

    The cooperative BürgerEnergie Abtsgmünd recently held its General Assembly in Gerlachsheim. The chairman Joachim Thees and Konrad Breuner gave a positive statement for the financial year 2015.

    The proposal of the Supervisory Board and Management Board to distribute a dividend of four percent (20 euros per share), has been agreed unanimously  by the members . The remaining amount flows back into the reserves.

    Despite the very hot and sunny summer months, there were no record redults, according to the chairman Joachim These. “With air temperatures of approximately 40 degrees, the cield, as as also with other electronic devices with semiconductors, is regressing significantly.”  With a temperature of up to 40 instead of the standard 25 degrees, this complied to a loss of about 7.5 percent, which could even by the long hours of sunshine not be fully compensated. Thanks to better rear ventilation of open space photovoltaic systems, the losses, however, are lower than for systems on rooftops.

    The solar park Lutstrut is one of four projects owned by the cooperatives BürgerEnergie Tauber - Franken, solar parka Heckfeld , Dickwar and Oberlauda . The aim of the cooperatives is to work together with citizens, municipalities, companies and institutions in the region and realize energy projects, in order to not only contribute to climate protection but also to create economic incentives.

    By means of those cooperatives,  it is intended to achieve and remain the success and returns of the investments in the is local area and, contrary to several other projects all over the country, not  having the returns and success flow into nationally or internationally operating funds.

     

     

     

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• • Capital Stage expands its portfolio of solar parks in great britain to more than 80 MW

    12. Mai 2016

    The Hamburg based solar and wind park operator Capital Stage, also being listed in the S-DAX index, bought another British solar park with a generation capacity of 5 MWp from F&S solar (F&S). Capital Stage and the project developer, based in Euskirchen, cooperate since 2015 on the British market. By…

    The Hamburg based solar and wind park operator Capital Stage, also being listed in the S-DAX index, bought another British solar park with a generation capacity of 5 MWp from F&S solar (F&S). Capital Stage and the project developer, based in Euskirchen, cooperate since 2015 on the British market. By means of the current acquisition, Capital Stage bought the fourth British solar Park from F&S. The generation power which Capital Stage now has in Great Britain thus increases to more than 80 MW. 
    
    The solar park acquired by Capital Stage is situated in the south east of England in the county Bedfordshire. Another British solar park owned by Capital Stage is in the immediate neighbourhood. The solar park is already operating and has been connected to the British grid in March 2016. A long term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) has already been signed with the internationally acting Danish Energy-trading company NEAS Energy. The total investment volume of the acquisition amounts to 6.3 million euros (GBP 4.8 Mio).Capital Stage expects that the solar park will generate sales contributions in the amount of about 600 thousand euros (TGBP 460) with the first full year of operation.

    The technical operation and maintenance (O&M) of the solar farm will be performed and ensured by F&S for the first 2 years. After these two years, the technical O&M will be performed by Capital Stage Solar Service GmbH, a company owned by Capital Stage AG to 100 per cent. Thanks to the close proximity to another British solar park owned by Capital Stage, synergy effects will be realised after having taking over the services from F&S. The commercial O&M services are already with Capital Stage from the date of the passing ownership.

    In the first instance, the solar park is being acquired with their own financial resources. A later refinancing in the form of a classical project financing is planned. In this context, a respective framework agreement has already been made with BayernLB.
    
    About Capital Stage AG:

    Since 2009, Capital Stage has been acquiring solar installations and wind parks all over Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain with a capacity of nearly 600 MW. Therewith, Capital Stage is the biggest independent solar operator in Germany and mathematically already replaces the generation power of half a nuclear power plant. By means of the solar and wind parks, the company generates attractive returns and continuous earnings to very moderate risks.
    
    
    Capital Stage AG is listed in the regulated market (Prime Standard) of Frankfurt’s stock exchange and in the  regulated market of the Hanseatic stock exchange in Hamburg (ISIN: DE0006095003 / WKN: 609500). In March 2014, the stocks of Capital Stage have become part of the selection index SDAX of the German stock exchange.
    
     

     

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• • Innovative solar parc solution for „contaminated site“

    12. April 2016

    

    STAWAG contracts solar specialist based in Euskirchen for the construction of a PV solar farm in Alsdorf on difficult ground – concrete surface of the former coal washing was not to be drilled through Alsdorf/Euskirchen – „Even if the Feed in Tariff has been reduced significantly – we can see here…

    STAWAG contracts solar specialist based in Euskirchen for the construction of a PV solar farm in Alsdorf on difficult ground – concrete surface of the former coal washing was not to be drilled through

    Alsdorf/Euskirchen – „Even if the Feed in Tariff has been reduced significantly – we can see here that photovoltaic still makes sense”, said Dr. Peter Asmuth, director of STAWAG, about the new project of the DNO in the region Aachen. On Tuesday in the afternoon, Mr. Asmuth, together with Alfred Sonders, the mayor of Alsdorf and leading employees of the solar specialist “F&S solar” inaugurated a solar farm with a nominal power of 700 kWp.

    The area of about 15,000 square meters, where 2737 modules have been built, is a former coal washing of the “Halde Maria”. Asmuth: “Such a surface can be seen as contaminated site, not be possible to make any other good use of.” From now on, 400 tons of climate-damaging carbon dioxide will be saved thanks to the solar modules in comparison to the standard coal-fired energy generation. Every kilowatt of the green energy will be remunerated with a fee of 8.9 Eurocents, according to the director of STAWAG: “This shows how profitable solar farms can be constructed meanwhile. This remuneration corresponds to the production price of conventional energy generation as for example that of coal-fired power station.”

    The construction of this sun-powered plant has been a huge challenge for the planner, since the concrete sealing which covered the 30-years old surface completely, was not to be damaged in any way. Markus Kreutz, technical manager of “F&S solar” for this project: “This means, we were not allowed to place any poles or the like for the framework of the modules in the ground, nor to dig any cable trenches.” But the company specialized in huge solar projects is already known in the market for its innovative solutions for projects with difficult underground circumstances, be it sandy ground or hurricane-resistant as on an island in the northern sea or on former military sites such as in Saerbeck, the biggest solar park installed on bunkers.

    Kreutz: „ That is why we built the module really low and made concrete foundations for every mount.” Asmuth praised: “The thanks is absolutely to “F&S solar”; every single foundation had to be made by means of wooden boxes where the concrete has been poured into by hand. The work has been performed in an excellent and qualitatively high way.” The cables are secured by special brackets – 19 kilometers of cable for the connection of the modules had to be placed on difficult underground. The plant is to produce 665,000 kilowatt hours of clean solar energy per year and thus providing electricity for about 200 households.

    Mayor Sonders: „Based on the structure of our town Alsdorf, we cannot use wind energy due to the missing clearance space. Therefore, we rely on photovoltaic; the solar park is a further successful milestone in our climate protection scheme.” This refers to a special program, where Alsdorf offers roof tops for solar use. The whole street lightning has already been adapted to LED technology, which saves 42 % of the energy and about 650 tons carbon dioxide. “also the lightning of schools, the town hall and further public buildings will be switched to LED technology.

    Not only with regard to the energy generation, but also in respect of the design of the solar park, the environmental conditions have been taken into account, according to Peter Asmuth:”In one part of the area we created a biotope in order to save the protected species Natterjack toad.” The director of STAWAG sees the decentralized energy generation by means of the Renewable energies as the way to the future.

     

    epa

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• • F&S solar enters Dutch PV market

    01. Juni 2015

    

    Project pipeline of 130 MW – The Dutch mainly focus on contracts between power producers and electricity consumers. Euskirchen – After a successful entrance into the British solar market in 2014, the North Rhine-Westphalian project developer F&S solar now also conquers the European mainland abroad from…

    Project pipeline of 130 MW – The Dutch mainly focus on contracts between power producers and electricity consumers.

    Euskirchen – After a successful entrance into the British solar market in 2014, the North Rhine-Westphalian project developer F&S solar now also conquers the European mainland abroad from Germany and proceeds its internationalization.

    “With a small, but strong local Team we have the possibility, to react very quickly on national circumstances and demands” says CEO Georg Schmiedel. Customer Service, project development and financial arrangements are dealt with through an experienced Dutch team. From the company’s headquarters in Euskirchen specialists will install the PV plant and take care of the maintenance.

    “Our project development in the Netherlands runs parallelly”, says Schmiedel. “On the one hand, we develop smaller and medium-sized roof-top and ground-mounted installations which are supported by the Dutch Government”. For this the latest reform of the Government “Stimulering Duurzame Energieproductie“ (SDE) is decisive. Within the scope of this program, there are no separate funding pools for regenerative energies, but all alternative technologies have to compete in achieving the funding. Currently there are a number of roof-top installations being realized with the help of this SDE program.

    “On the other hand, we obviously also build grand solar parks with up to 50 MW in the Netherlands. The remuneration basis for those big power stations are so-called Power Purchase Agreements (PPA)”, says Schmiedel. These are contracts between power producer and energy consumers running for a certain period of time. This is interesting for big companies and industrial zones, which by nature consume a lot of electrical current.

    Within this framework F&S solar recently has won a tender for a 4-MW solar park on a landfill in Sittard in the province of Limburg. This solar park is intended to deliver the current for only one local company, which consumes the current for a fixed price over the next 20 years. Already in the course of this year the construction of this trend-setting project will be started.

    Governmental subsidies are only possible via public tenders in the Netherlands. Main conditions are that the ground as well as the financing is secured and the building permit is given.

    “If the application is accepted, the government guarantees a fixed amount per kilowatt hour for 15 years. This is achieved through an additional payment which is done on top of the price for current and the guaranteed price” explains Schmiedel further on and gave an example: If a project was granted an amount of 14.7 Cent as support and has got a PPA of 8 Cent with the consumer, the government pays the difference of 6.7 Cent.

    “Currently we have a project pipeline in the Netherlands of about 130 MW being planned and developed” reports Schmiedel. Among those is also a project of a public energy cooperative of the municipality of Brunssum, which lies on public land and shall be installed under public participation.

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