The sun is shining when Christoph Werlitz opens the gates to the Menteroda solar park . It ’ s weather that ’ s appropriate for a visit to a plant that produces clean energy in the northern Thuringian municipality at the foot of the Harz Mountains in Germany . And in which an innovative PLCnext control system helps to bring more discipline to the fluctuations of the natural energy source .
The municipality of Menteroda is actually known for its
potash mining , which started here at the beginning of the 20th Century and which shaped the region for decades . But the mines are no longer active , the huge slag heaps have been recultivated , and mining is only a memory that is commemorated with a small museum . Today , the beauties of the Wartburg-Hainich World Heritage Site attract visitors to the region – medieval towns , mighty castles and , above all , surrounded by nature .
Regenerative mix However , all of this is suffering massively from climate change . The extensive coniferous forests cannot tolerate the increasing droughts of recent years , the “ wooden gold ” of the forestry sector is being destroyed the by bark beetle – the dynamics of this development is particularly evident in the low mountain ranges .
No wonder that , here in particular , there is a great acceptance for renewable energies . ASG Engineering GmbH from Saxony-Anhalt operates the 6.05 MWp solar power plant Menteroda 2 . A rooftop system and a large open space make up the overall power plant . The rooftop system was erected on a hall of the local recycling sorting company . Here , trash is sorted and the organic waste is fed into a biogas plant , which is located in the immediate vicinity .
To complete the jigsaw of regenerative energies , our gaze wanders towards the horizon past various wind turbine generators aimed at utilizing the energies of the moving à
The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 6 / 20 23