Aiming high with PV tenant electricity systems: Solarimo makes Berlin's Havelufer quarter sustainable

Berlin - An urban village that inspires: a large, ultra-modern residential quarter is currently being built on the historic Hertlein site on the banks of the Havel in the Berlin district of Spandau-Hakenfelde. On around 95,000 square meters of living space spread over nine building plots and 20 residential properties, there will be a total of 1,700 residential units in the future, some of which will be new builds and some of which will be the core refurbishment of existing historic buildings. The aim of the holistic quarter is to develop a campus-like mix of living, housing and working with supra-local appeal. The life-circle concept, which takes current living models into account through integrative new forms of living and a cross-generational approach, and sustainability are particularly important. For example, the comprehensive sustainability concept includes an environmentally friendly heat supply with combined heat and power and local heating, among other things. The project developers Patrizia SE and Kauri CAB Development Berlin GmbH are relying on the expertise of Solarimo, a subsidiary of ENGIE Deutschland, for local solar power from photovoltaic systems. Thanks to their comprehensive technical expertise, the specialists are providing targeted support in securing a DGNB award for the Havelufer Quartier. Dave Gebauer, Head of Sustainable Solutions at ENGIE Deutschland and Managing Director of Solarimo, says:

"From our point of view, PATRIZIA SE and PATRIZIA SE and Kauri CAB Development Berlin GmbH have made the right decision for the future here. Generating and consuming energy on site is by far the most sustainable solution: it saves costs, is good for the environment and reduces CO₂ . We are delighted to be able to implement this project together and support it with our many years of expertise."

Sustainable tenant electricity for the multi-hybrid quarter

Solarimo is installing PV systems with a total output of around 808 kilowatt peak on the roofs of the 20 residential properties, generating an average of 781 megawatt hours per year; in some cases, the specialists are integrating existing systems. Thanks to the green generation systems, tenants will benefit from annual CO₂ savings of around 340 tons of CO₂ . The listed existing buildings on the site are a special feature, as Daniel Budisky, Team Lead Sales Housing Industry & Neighborhoods at Solarimo and responsible for the project, explains: "There is still a persistent prejudice in the industry that listed buildings and sustainable power supply are mutually exclusive. In the Havelufer Quartier, we at Solarimo, in cooperation with the Office for the Protection of Historical Monuments, are demonstrating the opposite: PV systems can be perfectly integrated on the roof of the more than 100-year-old, listed shed roof hall, for example - and ensure sustainable living on old roofs. This makes the project a role model for numerous neighborhood projects throughout Germany." In addition to the shed roof hall, the casino and the Hammerstiel are historic existing buildings that are key to the urban development and architectural design of the district. Several new buildings are currently being constructed in parallel with their modernization. The first buildings with PV tenant electricity systems have been completed and are already occupied, with all others to follow by mid-2025. Solarimo is implementing a long series of PV tenant electricity projects in districts across Germany, for example in Berlin, Wolfsburg, Regensburg and Wiesbaden.

Sustainable neighborhood project: Solarimo is equipping the roofs of the Havelufer Quartier in Berlin-Spandau with PV tenant electricity systems. Existing listed buildings are being integrated.