For a climate-neutral future: Construction begins for photovoltaic system at the tesa plant in Offenburg

• tesa aims for climate-neutral production by 2030 (Scope1 and Scope 2) 
• With the start of construction in September for the solar park, tesa achieves the next milestone for sustainability at its Offenburg site 
• A photovoltaic system with 5,600 kilowatts peak is expected to cover around 25 percent of the energy requirements at the site 
   

Offenburg – tesa, an international manufacturer of innovative adhesive tapes and self-adhesive product solutions, prioritizes sustainability and aims to use technological know-how to transform its business. The reduction of emissions is a strategic focus of tesa's sustainability strategy, with the goal of achieving climate-neutral production by 2030 (Scope 1 and Scope 2). The tesa plant in Offenburg, where the well-known tesafilm® is also produced, is leading by example and will soon be using a powerful photovoltaic system (PV system) that will cover around 25 percent of its electricity needs by the end of 2024.  

Six gigawatt-hours of electricity will be generated annually. The groundbreaking for the extensive construction project is taking place these days. "Sustainability in the production process is key for us. Our goal is to create a transparent picture of our resource use and find ways to optimize value creation towards a circular economy. This includes sourcing electricity from renewable energy sources. With the future solar park, we will be one step closer to our goal of reducing our emissions," explains plant manager Holger Rauth. 

Solar panels will cover a quarter of energy demand 

With a customized solution, the potential for energy generation will be fully exploited: By the end of 2024, solar panels will be installed at three locations on the factory site, producing a total output of 5,600 kWp¹ (6,000,000 kWh/year). Together with the system currently under construction on the flat roof of a warehouse, this will result in the Offenburg plant having a 25 percent degree of self-sufficiency with renewable energy.² "As a result, we can save around 1,200 tons of CO₂ per year at the site," assures André Kohler, project engineer at tesa. 

13,000 photovoltaic modules will supply the plant and power charging stations for electric cars 

Over 13,000 PV modules will be installed for the project. One of the systems will be located in the plant's entrance area, in the parking lot for employees. Excavation work will start here in mid-September: Drainage pipes will be laid, foundations poured, and supply cables pulled. The construction will not only supply the plant with electricity but also the employees’ e-mobiles at cost price. On average, 1,900 hours of sunshine per year should make this possible in Offenburg.  

For tesa, the generation of renewable energy is an important pillar of its energy management. Since 2020, all office and production sites have been purchasing electricity exclusively from renewable sources. In addition to reducing absolute energy consumption, increasing energy efficiency also plays a central role. To achieve this, tesa increasingly employs technologies that are particularly efficient in conserving resources and energy.  

"Overall, this sustainability project, with its electricity generation from renewable energy sources, is part of tesa's sustainability strategy and builds on our long-running initiatives, such as our successful plant campaign for energy optimization and waste reduction. This is matched by the fact that our energy management system has been DIN ISO 50001 certified since 2015," summarizes plant manager Holger Rauth. 

1 The kWp (kilowatt peak) indicates the maximum power output that a photovoltaic system can produce in kilowatts (kW). The actual/realistic output is usually a few percent lower.  

2 The degree of self-sufficiency shows the ratio between the purchased residual power and the total power consumption.