Environment-friendly products

from an eco-conscious company

Glass-glass modules

Our glass-glass PV “generational modules” are so-called due to their longevity. Glass is both more durable and more recyclable than plastic foil, so it takes only two years for glass-glass panels to ‘repay’, producing the energy required to make them. Our robust double-glass construction is very weather-resistant.

The panels are guaranteed for 30 years instead of the usual 20, for glass-foil panels – a 50% higher return and much more environment-friendly. Our lamination process uses only full chambers, reducing energy waste. By commissioning new ‘stringer’ machines, our ultra-modern production facilities increased panel throughput. Together, these measures have cut energy consumption per panel by 46%.

MyReserve – intelligently built, easy to reuse

From the time it was just an idea, the first fully modular power storage device was designed to minimise its footprint. First, we control the entire chain, with production lines in Frechen & Dresden and suppliers located in Germany where possible, cutting transport emissions.

Second, MyReserve stores more than 10 times as much renewable energy over its whole life as is used in its production. The unit ‘repays’ the energy use to make it after only 400 cycles (typically 18 months).

Because our batteries are as small as possible, they use less transport space and a lot less CO2 in delivery, e.g. seven times more product units per container compared to the former version of MyReserve. That’s important on a lorry from Cologne to Hamburg – but vital on a container ship from Hamburg to Australia.

The ‘building block’ design means there’s no need to exchange a battery: modules can be retrofitted and batteries expanded in both capacity and performance (measured in watts).
Similarly, a shoebox-sized module can be replaced if necessary, not the whole battery. This lowers CO2 transport emissions and means fewer replacement parts are needed for exchanges.

We were thinking ‘end of life’ right from the start, ensuring MyReserve has an extremely high recyclability rating. We use screws and plugs instead of welded pieces, so batteries are easy and non-destructive to open. Also, the components have a very high reusability factor and finally, parts are easily disassembled, so raw materials are more easily re-used.

EnergyManager

Produced in Germany, EnergyManager is a compact device with few individual components, hosted on a server that’s 100%-powered by green electricity. This dynamic portal increases end-customer awareness of consumption and boosts overall home energy efficiency, way beyond monitoring of the PV installation.

Overall sustainability

From product design through ultra-efficient manufacturing methods to built-in longevity, we put concern for the environment at the heart of everything we do. MyReserve and EnergyManager come in cardboard boxes made from 85-90% recycled materials, while PV module packing materials are minimized to plastic stacking corners and wooden pallets. We reduce waste by reusing our own packaging.

SOLARWATT has made energy and heat savings at our Dresden headquarters by 10% compared to 2016 and reduced CO2 emissions by 11% in that time. We use process waste heat from a neighbouring company, and use heat exchangers and air compressors for ambient heating. Our employees benefit from electric vehicle charging stations in parking areas.

More than half the waste generated is recycled, helping cut waste volume by 20%. Our recycling rate of 52% is an increase of 18% as compared to previous year. When you work with or choose SOLARWATT, you’re dealing with a company that cares.