A photovoltaic facility with Q CELLS solar modules has become operational atop the new site of the Thuringia State Office of Criminal Investigations (LKA) in Erfurt, Germany. The PV power is fed into the grid from the police department. On the four roughly one-thousand sq. metre roofs, 560 Q CELLS solar modules have been installed within three weeks by maxx-solar and energie GmbH and Co. KG.

The modules were provided by Hanwha Q CELLS GmbH, the largest European photovoltaics provider. The energy cooperative Erste Erfurter Energiegenossenschaft e. G. has leased out the police department's roofs for 20 years for its largest system to date.

The 140 kilowatt (kW) roof unit is in operation since late August and generates around 130,000 kilowatt hours of clean energy per year.

This equates to the annual energy demand of about 50 households. A potential direct supply of the police department LKA with solar energy is being discussed between the federal state and the energy cooperative.

"We would like to generate as much clean energy as possible both in and with our properties," says Ingle Klaan, Thuringia Secretary of State for Building, Regional Development and Transport.

The energy transition ("Energiewende") will only be successful through increasing energy efficiency and developing renewable energy sources. 33 state building lease agreements with photovoltaic unit operators have been finalized since 2008. The installed output thereby increased from 30 kW to over 1,000 kW in 2013. The annual power generation of over 1,000,000 kWh prevents approximately 600 tons of CO2.

"We engage in our state capital's energy transition," says Ulrich von Brunn, Chairman of the energy cooperative Erste Erfurter Energiegenossenschaft e. G.. 90 members of the cooperative finance facilities that produce power from renewable energy sources - to date these are primarily photovoltaic facilities atop buildings in the city of Erfurt.

"We are glad about the successful project that the state, energy cooperative and maxx-solar have realized together," says Stephan Edelmann, Key Account Manager at Hanwha Q CELLS.

"In Erfurt Hanwha Q CELLS is again providing its state-of-the-art modules. Along with commerce and industry, public institutions and municipal companies are benefiting from photovoltaic units as well," says Michael Geib, Head of Sales for Germany at Hanwha Q CELLS.