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Mining the Sun's Energy
At John Deere Werke Mannheim, photovoltaic cells turn sunlight into energy.
(August 14, 2006) – John Deere Werke Mannheim is making money from the sun – literally. With every hour of sunshine, two solar panels at the facility generate energy worth around €24 ($31 USD).
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This rooftop solar panel at John Deere Mannheim Werke is thought to be the largest of its type in Germany. |
The panels were installed last year at the German factory. The larger panel, which measures 366 square meters (3,940 square feet), is thought to be the largest of its type in the country. The panel is embedded in the roof of the factory's apprentice workshop and can generate up to 45,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually.
The second, smaller panel is equipped to capture every ray of sunlight. Mounted on a pole near the factory's hydroponic water purification facility, the panel follows the sun using an electrically powered tracking system. This ensures the panel is always directed toward the sun, increasing its energy yield by 40 percent.
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This solar collector, mounted on the factory's rooftop water purification facility, tracks the sun's movement. |
Together, both panels have the potential to generate up to 48,000 kWh – enough energy to power four to five U.S. homes for one year. If fossil fuels were used to produce this energy, they would create almost 34,000 kilograms (74,400 pounds) of carbon dioxide emissions.
All energy generated by the cells is fed into the factory's power grid, and the factory receives a credit of €0.518 /kWh. Optimally, the two panels could produce enough energy to generate an annual credit of €24.864 (approximately $31,880 USD). The return on investment over the expected 20-year life of the panels is 8.4 percent.
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