From Wind Farm to Hybrid Park:
A New Dawn for the Solar Park in Wilfersdorf
With the groundbreaking ceremony for the new solar park in Wilfersdorf (Mistelbach district, Lower Austria), Windkraft Simonsfeld, together with the Liechtenstein Group, is further developing the existing energy site into a hybrid park as a joint venture, while also taking the next step in expanding renewable energy in Lower Austria. The plant will have a capacity of 10.26 MWp and will generate approximately 12.7 million kilowatt-hours of solar electricity per year for 3,200 households. The companies are investing a total of around €7 million in the project.
For the Weinviertel-based energy company Windkraft Simonsfeld, the combination of different generation technologies marks the next stage in the development of its power plant sites. Wind power, photovoltaics and energy storage options are to be increasingly considered together in order to make even better use of the respective strengths of these technologies and provide renewable electricity as efficiently as possible. The new photovoltaic plant in Wilfersdorf is a concrete example of this development. It complements the existing wind energy site with solar power and demonstrates how conventional wind farms are gradually being transformed into hybrid parks. The aim is to make multiple use of existing infrastructure and to diversify energy generation across different times of the day and seasons of the year.
“Wind and solar power complement each other perfectly. While photovoltaics produce large amounts of electricity primarily during the day and in the summer months, wind power also supplies significant amounts of renewable energy, particularly during the winter months. That is why we are increasingly taking a cross-technology approach to all our energy sites. The conventional wind farm is increasingly evolving into a hybrid park. This allows us to generate renewable electricity even more efficiently and contribute to Austria's energy independence,” explains Markus Winter, Chief Technical Officer of Windkraft Simonsfeld.
© Astrid Knie – From left to right: Hans Jörg Damm, Estate Manager of the Liechtenstein Group, Andreas Minnich, Member of the Austrian National Council, Josef Tatzber, Mayor of Wilfersdorf, Markus Winter, CTO of Windkraft Simonsfeld, Alexander Winkler, CEO of the Liechtenstein Group
The Mayor of Wilfersdorf, Josef Tatzber, adds: “I am very pleased that this hybrid park allows us to continue our long-standing successful cooperation with Windkraft Simonsfeld and the Liechtenstein Group, and that we now also have solar energy in our municipality.”
The project also receives support from the provincial government. Andreas Minnich, Member of the Austrian National Council, representing Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, emphasises: “What was started by visionaries 30 years ago is being successfully continued by Windkraft Simonsfeld. In addition to wind energy, Lower Austria is increasingly becoming a leading province for solar energy. This hybrid park is a model for further projects in the region. In this way, we can further strengthen our country's security of supply with domestically generated electricity.”
12.7 Million Kilowatt-Hours of Solar Electricity per Year
With this project, Windkraft Simonsfeld is further expanding photovoltaics as an additional pillar of its power plant portfolio. The new PV plant in Wilfersdorf will be built and operated by Windkraft Simonsfeld in partnership with the Liechtenstein Group.
Alexander Winkler, CEO of the Liechtenstein Group, emphasises the often underestimated importance of economic sustainability: “Economically sound projects strengthen security of supply, create regional added value and improve our strategic independence.”
The power plant will have an installed capacity of 10.26 MWp and generate around 12.7 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually for 3,200 households. The total investment volume amounts to around €7 million.
