DEHN is committed to protecting the environment and resources

DEHN not only develops protective devices for the regenerative power generation sector, but actively promotes the use of sustainable power at its locations in Neumarkt and Mühlhausen. Solar energy and a combined heat and power plant are already used to generate electricity and provide warm water. In January, a new photovoltaic system was put into operation at the premises in Mühlhausen, producing approx. 750,000 kWh of additional electricity annually. This leads to a CO2 saving of some 350,000 kg per year. In this way, DEHN makes an important contribution towards protecting the environment and resources.

In addition to the photovoltaic system and the combined heat and power plant at the location in Neumarkt, a new PV system went into operation at the premises in Mühlhausen following a three-month construction period. The system is expected to generate around 750,000 kWh of electricity each year, 47% of which will be consumed on site while the surplus power will be fed into the grid of the Bayernwerk AG. 

By saving approx. 350,000 kg of CO2 annually, DEHN is also making a contribution towards protecting the climate and conserving resources. 2,777 polycrystalline solar modules were installed on a roof surface of around 11,000 m². The modules are south facing and set up at a 13° angle on a lightning current carrying sub-structure made of aluminium. The power system is incorporated in the lightning and surge protection concept of the building and has a telecontrol system for remote control. Both locations, in Mühlhausen and Neumarkt receive real-time transmission and visualisation of the system data. A smaller pilot PV system has been in operation in Neumarkt since 2009.

In addition to photovoltaics, an effective heating system is also in use. The building in Mühlhausen with an area of 22,000 m² has been insulated beyond the requirements of the German Energy Conservation Regulations and is heated by way of concrete core activation. This entails installing water circulation pipes in the concrete floor slabs which can give off warmth when needed. The necessary heating energy is supplied via a district heating pipeline from a heating plant run on regenerative raw materials. The heating system is particularly efficient due to the low flow temperatures and the good storage properties of the concrete core activation.

DEHN’s combined heat and power plant is a further example of how DEHN utilises renewable energy. This plant has been in operation since 2015 and provides 210 kW electric and 250 kW thermal power. Beside producing power, this plant also increases the return flow for the heating of the building. It runs on CO2-neutral natural gas.

Consequently, DEHN not only promotes the environmentally friendly use of power through its protective devices and solutions, but actually puts the theory into practice itself at the company premises. 

Fig.: DEHN is committed to protecting the environment and resources: new PV system at the location in Mühlhausen with a power generation of approx. 750,000 kWh per year

DEHN is a leading, globally active family-owned company for electrotechnology with almost 1,800 employees worldwide. DEHN offers innovative products and solutions as well as comprehensive services in the field of surge protection, lightning protection and safety equipment. The focus of DEHN’s activities is protecting plant and building technology; transport, telecommunications and process industry systems; or photovoltaic systems and wind turbines in addition to countless other applications. The company's continuous growth is based on more than 100 years of tradition and experience as well as the highest quality standards and consistent customer and market orientation.