Innovator Besi Austria acts on climate neutrality using SunPower high-efficiency panels
How can today’s businesses achieve their environmental, social and sustainability (ESG) goals and contribute to meeting the challenges of dwindling natural resources and climate change? At its Radfeld location, Besi Austria GmbH has found a solution that relies on SunPower-brand solar energy panels. The aim is to produce optimal synergy through solar power.
Designing change with an eye to the future: Besi lets the sunshine in
Besi is a trailblazer in the research, development and production of semiconductors. Specializing in the area of ultra-modern assembly processes, the company drives end consumer markets for autonomous driving and artificial intelligence, and also for the solar industry. Developing innovative products is part of Besi’s daily routine. This includes the implementation of efficient solutions for Maxeon Solar Technologies’ SunPower solar panels. One of the core element of Maxeon solar cells consists of the copper rear section that Besi itself produces for the manufacturer.
But Besi doesn’t just enable others to be more efficient. The company is determined to intensify its own use of renewable energy sources and to reduce its consumption of resources. One milestone on this path was the commissioning of a photovoltaic (PV) plant in 2021. This reduced Besi’s overall energy consumption from the grid by 10 percent and achieves the desired synergy using solar energy. The high-efficiency SunPower Maxeon 5 solar panels are a decisive factor in achieving this vision.
Take a look at the overall installation
Genuine added value through solar synergy
The region of Tyrol harbors potential for solar energy. This is how the regional government assesses the situation, estimating the insolation of roofs at 69,710 GWh per year. Besi has recognized the potential for cost savings through the use of renewable energy. Further benefits include less vulnerability to market price fluctuations and improving supply planning reliability.
The results have been convincing. While other Austrian businesses are currently battling with rapidly increasing energy prices, since the beginning of the year, Besi’s electricity costs have fallen by 26 percent with a solar energy self-consumption rate of 99 percent. In addition, the new PV plant provides significant independence from uncontrollable price fluctuations, even in times of volatility on the energy markets, making for better planning reliability for the future. It’s a milestone on the way to sustainable and autonomous energy supplies.
For comparison: over the same period, competitors have had to cope with massive increases in energy prices1 https://tirol.iv.at/IV-News/News-aus-Tirol/Hohe-Energiepreise-ernste-Bedrohung-fuer-den-Industr.de.html . This gratifying achievement of targets can be attributed to the installation of SunPower panels.
A greener footprint for Besi
The sheer quantity of panels Besi has installed bears witness to its commitment to achieving energy-related improvements. Currently, 464 high-performance SunPower Maxeon 5 panels have found their way onto the panoramic flat roof, which is also covered in vegetation. In this regard, the installer explains that it is an immense advantage that SunPower's solution requires less space.
The peak performance of the rooftop powerplant, which faces east-west, amounts to just under 200 kWp. With an annual yield of 186 MWh, this enables Besi to satisfy 18 percent of its own energy needs, thus saving 48 metric tons of CO2 in Austria alone. On top of all this, the choice of Maxeon solar panels, that are Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver certificate demonstrates how the company supports responsible handling of water, gives preference to non-hazardous materials and fulfills its social responsibility obligations.
Recognizing our responsibility
Besi consciously exploits solar synergy to implement its holistic sustainability strategy. This is because it’s important for a leading regional employer to establish a credible reputation as a pioneer in sustainability.
Evidence of this can be found at the employee entrance: a dashboard has been set up to provide data on the daily sustainable electricity production for the company’s own use. To this end, high-performance solar panels certified for their limited water consumption are ideal and allow reductions in both direct and indirect emissions.
This is why the solar synergy achieved by the PV panels brings about not only financial benefits for Besi Austria, but also social benefits.
Better together thanks to solar synergy
The solar installation in the Tyrol economic region represents a project of special importance for both Besi and Maxeon Solar Technologies. The two companies provide each other with mutual support using innovative technologies that make it possible to create a sustainable cycle. Besi Austria assists Maxeon Solar Technologies with the production of solar panels, and Maxeon provides Besi with products to reduce its CO2 footprint. This cooperation provides a model for holistically thought-through sustainability with practical synergy through solar energy.