ÖBB builds agrivoltaic system for traction current

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ÖBB builds agrivoltaic system for traction current

The plant in Carinthia feeds its yield directly into the overhead lines. The company already uses 100 percent green electricity, which it intends to generate itself by 2030.

13. August 2024 Jochen Siemer (pv magazine): August 13, 2024 Jochen Siemer (pv magazine): At an official event with Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler on Monday, the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) opened an agrivoltaic plant to produce traction current for the line running directly next to it. The plant in Thalsdorf (Carinthia) is expected to generate around 16 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, with an installed capacity of 13.2 megawatts.

The photovoltaic system is combined with the keeping of 6,000 chickens and 60 sheep, which will have a protected run under the 19,000 solar modules. The total area measures 14 hectares, on which trees have also been planted and green strips laid out. The modules reportedly cover an area of around six hectares.

ÖBB has chosen a rare solution for the use of electricity: It is fed directly into the overhead line of the adjacent tracks. The company VENSYS, from Diepholz (near Bremen) supplied six VENCON PV 16,7 Hz 2000inverters, which convert the solar power for the railroad's 16.7 Hertz network. ÖBB, meanwhile, commissioned what it claims to be the world's first system with such a concept back in 2015.

According to ÖBB, it has been using 100% green electricity for its trains since 2018 and has also been supplying all buildings, facilities and container terminals with electricity from renewable sources since 2019. By 2030, the company aims to work with partners to generate 80 percent of its traction current with its own systems, compared to 60 percent today. The aim is to increase the proportion of self-supply from the current 11% to 67%. At the same time, “internal energy efficiency” is to be increased by 25 percent, for example by modernizing the traction current network or optimizing buildings. Investments totaling 1.6 billion euros are planned.

Picture: Opening of the Agri-Photoltaic plant in Thalsdorf with (from left) Gaby Schaunig (Deputy Governor of Carinthia), Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler and Hans Pluy (CEO of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG).

Foto: ÖBB/Waschnig

Click here for the complete article: https://www.pv-magazine.de/2024/08/13/oebb-errichten-agri-photovoltaik-anlage-fuer-bahnstrom/ 

TOP 100 Award: Ranga Yogeshwar honors VENSYS Elektrotechnik

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TOP 100 Award: Ranga Yogeshwar honors VENSYS Elektrotechnik for innovative achievements

Überlingen - Recognition at the German SME Summit: Ranga Yogeshwar congratulates VENSYS Elektrotechnik GmbH from Diepholz on being awarded the TOP 100 seal. The award ceremony at the Summit took place on Friday, June 28, in Weimar for all SMEs that received the TOP 100 seal at the beginning of the year. The science journalist is accompanying the innovation competition, which is being held for the 31st time, as a mentor. In the scientific selection process, VENSYS was particularly convincing in size category B (51 to 200 employees) in the "External Orientation / Open Innovation" category. This is the third time that the company has been one of the top innovators.

The TOP 100 company portrait published on the occasion of the award states (excerpt):

VENSYS Elektrotechnik deals with environmentally friendly future technologies. Its hybrid converters ensure that the energy generated from solar and wind power is temporarily stored in a battery or fed into the grid. Rotor blade adjustment systems for wind turbines are also manufactured in Diepholz. "Made in Germany", that is, since VENSYS was founded in 2008. And it is also clear to the two new Managing Directors Thomas Peters and Wolfgang Feldmann that the company's production will remain in Diepholz. "If we want to stay ahead of the competition in terms of technology, we have to invest in our employees," emphasizes Thomas Peters. It is important to the top management that all 100 employees have the opportunity to contribute their ideas at any time. "We welcome it when someone thinks outside the box," says Wolfgang Feldmann. Input comes not only from the company's own workforce, but also, for example, through exchanges with universities and institutes as part of research projects.

Click here for the full portrait: https://www.top100.de/vensys-elektrotechnik-gmbh-2024/ https://www.top100.de/vensys-elektrotechnik-gmbh-2024/

The Diepholz-based company VENSYS Elektrotechnik was honored as a "Top 100" in Weimar. Thomas Peters (left), Managing Director, accepted the award from science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar. Photo: KD Busch/compamedia.

TOP 100: the competition: Since 1993, compamedia has been awarding the TOP 100 seal for special innovative strength and above-average innovation success to medium-sized companies. The scientific management has been in the hands of Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke since 2002. Franke is the founder and director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. The mentor of TOP 100 is the science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar. Project partners are the Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research and the BVMW. The magazines manager magazin and impulse accompany the company comparison as media partners, ZEIT für Unternehmer is a cooperation partner. More information at www.top100.de. www.top100.de.

TOP 100 is the only independent award for innovation management in Germany. It is not easy to get into the TOP 100, but the reputation is all the higher in the event of success. Two questions are at the heart of the TOP 100 assessment: Are innovations in companies a product of chance or the result of a systematic approach? And how successfully are ideas transformed into market successes? TOP 100 thus makes a statement about the probability that companies will continue to be successful in the future. The scientific management scrutinizes the applicants on the basis of more than 100 test criteria. The analysis is designed in such a way that it takes into account the special features of very different sectors and company sizes.

The decisive factor for being awarded the TOP100 seal is a detailed, methodologically sound questionnaire. The scientific management examines the applicants in five categories: Innovation-promoting top management, Climate of innovation, Innovative processes and organization, External orientation/open innovation, Innovation success.

You can find more information and general image material on the TOP 100 competition on the Internet at www.top100.de/presse or by sending an e-mail to presse@compamedia.de. Nicole Grote will be happy to provide you with further information on the award-winning company.

Strategic Cooperation between GreenTEC and VENSYS

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Strategic Cooperation between GreenTEC and VENSYS

On April 9th, GreenTEC and VENSYS Elektrotechnik met at the GreenTEC Campus in Enge-Sande to establish a future partnership.

With the VENSYS hybrid converter "VENCON300", it will be possible in the future to simulate a stand-alone grid on the campus. Thanks to the flexible AC and DC interfaces of the VENCON, a wide variety of sources and consumers can be integrated into the system, including batteries from various manufacturers, photovoltaic systems, flywheel storage units, or even diesel generators.

Due to its location and unique infrastructure, the GreenTEC Campus offers the opportunity to thoroughly test any functionality for later use. The informative exchange was rounded off by a session of "padel," a booming sport from Spain.

All participants had a great time and look forward to a successful collaboration.

You can find further information about the GreenTec Campus here.

Picture from left to right: Thomas Peters (VENSYS), Marten Jensen (GreenTEC), Benjamin Sommer (GreenTEC), Jan Winkelmann (VENSYS).

VENSYS Elektrotechnik supports ÖBB project in Thalsdorf

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VENSYS Elektrotechnik supports ÖBB project in Thalsdorf

Diepholz, 04.03.2024 - The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are implementing a pioneering project in Thalsdorf that is not only aimed at environmentally friendly mobility, but also promotes the use of renewable energies. VENSYS Elektrotechnik GmbH will make a significant contribution to this project by supplying six "VENCON PV 16.7 Hz 2000" converters (see picture) in a 20ft container.

VENSYS Elektrotechnik GmbH, specialist for highly efficient full connverter systems in the fields of wind energy, photovoltaic and battery applications, is pleased to be part of this pioneering project of ÖBB. The full converters supplied enable the conversion and direct feed-in of the green traction current generated by the innovative agrivoltaic system, thus making a decisive contribution to sustainable energy supply.

"VENSYS Elektrotechnik GmbH is proud to be able to contribute to a pioneering project like that of the ÖBB in Thalsdorf. Our commitment to clean energy and our state-of-the-art full converters help realize the vision of sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility. At VENSYS, clean energy stands for a clean future - and not just as a slogan, but as our promise for the time when the focus is on electricity as a primary energy source," says Thomas Peters, Managing Director at VENSYS Elektrotechnik GmbH.

The inverters supplied not only enable reliable and efficient conversion of the electricity generated, but also demonstrate the commitment of both companies to the change towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply.

The project in Thalsdorf is a further step by ÖBB towards environmentally friendly mobility and shows the commitment of both companies to a clean energy future. With its innovative technology and its contribution to this project, VENSYS Elektrotechnik GmbH is setting an example for the energy and mobility transition.

Further information about this project can be found in the ÖBB press release:

https://presse-oebb.at/news-oebb-bauen-oesterreichs-erste-agri-photovoltaikanlage-fuer-gruenen-bahnstrom-in-kaernten?id=195170&menueid=27021&l=deutsch

VENSYS Elektrotechnik is among the TOP 100 for the third time

Company receives award for its innovative strength / Ranga Yogeshwar congratulates at the award ceremony in June

Newly crowned innovation champion: VENSYS Elektrotechnik GmbH from Diepholz has once again received the TOP 100 seal 2024. Only particularly innovative medium-sized companies are honored. Science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar will personally congratulate VENSYS Elektrotechnik on this success at the award ceremony on June 28th in Weimar. Yogeshwar has accompanied the TOP 100 innovation competition as a mentor for twelve years.

We are an excellent “employer of the future”

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We are an excellent “employer of the future” / Brigitte Zypries presents the award

VENSYS Elektrotechnik GmbH applied for the “Employer of the Future” award back in March 2023 and has now been successfully recognized by the DIND (German Innovation Institute for Sustainability and Digitalization). The award ceremony took place as part of the DUP Entrepreneur Day on September 6th, 2023 in the Essen Colosseum. The award was presented by the patron of the competition, Brigitte Zypries, former Federal Minister of Economics. D. handed over.

About the “Employer of the Future” award: Future orientation and quality as an employer – this is why companies are awarded the “Employer of the Future” award by the German Innovation Institute for Sustainability and Digitalization (DIND). The initiative is supported by the former Federal Minister of Economics Brigitte Zypries. The award helps companies position themselves in the “War for Talents” in order to attract and retain talent despite the shortage of skilled workers. The award honors innovative companies with a clear digitalization strategy that pursue sustainability goals and offer attractive working conditions. The focus is on modern leadership and employee friendliness. For example, flat hierarchies, flexible remuneration models or employee benefits as well as individual training and further education opportunities are incorporated into a holistic picture that is created using an evaluation matrix that was developed with the help of input from experts from business and science.

(Picture from left to right): Bianka Schippmann (VENSYS), Brigitte Zypries, former Federal Minister of Economics, Nicole Grote (VENSYS)