Our efforts are directed at further improving the competitiveness of solar energy by reducing the costs of investment, operation and maintenance. The solar market is a key component in the energy transition, and will enjoy above-average growth in the coming years.

RWE can see huge potential for locations internationally, especially in Europe, the US, Mexico and Australia, and is actively involved in project development, construction and operation in those locations. Australia’s Limondale 1 and 2 solar farms, with production capacity of 250 MW, and the Hickory Park hybrid solar project with co-located storage facility are among the most well known large-scale projects in the sector.

Unlike other renewable energy sources, the construction  of a solar farm requires comparatively little time. That doesn’t mean, however, that the systems themselves will be short-lived. Far from it! Once the solar farm has been completed, it can operate for many years and thus help to maintain a sustainable energy supply system.

As soon as the basic arrangements and planning stages have been completed, the construction phase can start. Installation of the solar panels plays a key role, since these are the centrepiece of the entire facility.

We’ve put together some pictures to illustrate the construction of a solar farm.

We are also focusing on hybrid projects to be able to respond more flexibly to the challenge posed by the energy transition. This involves a combination of photovoltaics and other technologies such as onshore wind power, batteries, flexible backup capacities and hydrogen.

How we at RWE are driving the energy transition forward and promoting structural change can be seen in the lignite mining region in Germany’s Rhineland, where a utility-scale photovoltaic system is taking shape in an open-cast mine – wherever possible also with integrated electricity storage systems.