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Divine Word Missionaries commit to solar energy in Austria to protect the climate
Mag. Ursula Mauritz
The new photovoltaic (PV) system was installed on the roofs of the old farm buildings, facing south and southeast. It consists of 288 panels covering 575 square meters, with a total capacity of 129.6 kilowatts peak (kWp). On clear, sunny days, the system operates at full capacity.
“With the new PV system, we can cover around a third of the electricity we previously had to purchase,” said Johann Sumersberger, managing director of the Divine Word Missionaries’ real estate fund in the ECP.
This project builds on earlier efforts. In 2018, a PV system was added to the roof of a newly constructed carport. That installation included 364 modules across 590 square meters, producing nearly 100 kWp. “With the old PV system and the new extension, we hope to cover at least 50 percent of our total annual electricity needs,” Sumersberger said. “With the old system, we consumed 90 percent of the electricity ourselves. How much we’ll use directly in the future will only become clear after this season.”
The solar power benefits a wide range of tenants at St. Gabriel: the SVD community, the GABRIUM hotel and event center, as well as numerous businesses, restaurants, and offices that have moved onto the campus in recent years. A charging station for electric cars is also available. According to Sumersberger, the initiative to expand the PV system—and the financing—came directly from the Society of the Divine Word.
For now, no further solar installations are planned, even though the mission house and other buildings on the property have large roof areas. “In the case of the main building, one obstacle is its historic landmark status. On other roofs we examined, the structure simply couldn’t bear the weight of a PV system,” Sumersberger said.
