Plus-energy house – blackout-proof thanks to sunflowers

PLUS-ENERGY house in Maria Ponsee

The Zentrum für Bauen & Energie (centre for building & energy) in Maria Ponsee in Lower Austria has further developed its plus-energy house and made it blackout-proof. In addition to the existing 10 kWp photovoltaic system, a 10 kWh power storage unit has been installed. It draws energy both from the PV system and from a 7.5 kW emergency generator running on vegetable oil. The generator is supplied with locally produced sunflower or rapeseed oil – from the neighbouring farmer.

In normal operation the building remains connected to the public grid (EVN), in particular to feed in surplus energy. If a blackout occurs, however, the power supply automatically switches to a UPS system, which first uses the battery storage. If that is not enough, the generator secures the energy supply. This approach, combining PV, storage and a vegetable-oil generator, is regarded as technically robust and sustainable – planned and implemented by the company Arno Reiter Elektrotechnik.

In addition, simulations take place twice a year to test how the components interact in an emergency.

The goal must be to achieve the greatest possible independence. In my view this applies not only to energy policy but to all areas of our daily lives. In our case we place particular emphasis on sustainable and self-sufficient house concepts. We want to maintain our customers’ quality of life reasonably well even in times of crisis. The energy supply is particularly close to our hearts. That is why we decided to take measures so that our building remains functional even during a blackout.

Master builder Ing. Gerhard Zehetner, CHAIRMAN, ZENTRUM FÜR BAUEN & ENERGIE

Zentrum für Bauen und Energie

A platform for ecological and energy-saving building and renovation