Since 1946 Herman Kraeuter have been growing herbs for chefs and the home in Neuss, Rheinbogen.
Now in its fourth generation the family owned business produces 200 tons annually of over 40 herb varieties. All that production consumes a lot of energy – particularly for the chilling plant, packaging machines and greenhouse lighting.
Organic herbs are included in their range – in fact sustainability is at the heart of everything they do. So they asked IBC Solar – who have been experts in the solar energy industry for the last 38 years – to supply design a private energy system for their factory operations
The system they designed and installed with the help of technical partner Kempka-Elektrotechnik has a solar array capable of generating 416 kWp and storing it into a BYD battery bank with a capacity of 207 kWh. System technology allows them to consume as much of their home-produced energy as possible, and to buffer peak load demand.
This reduced Hermann Kraeuter’s dependence on the grid hugely. The system optimises self consumption – running the factory plant in real time, storing surplus energy in the battery bank, and only reluctantly buying and selling to the grid. It also provides energy for their staff Electric Vehicle recharging stations.
Having a renewable energy system plays directly into the core values of their business, enhancing the brand, and reducing the cost of their commercial operations.
Their story is told in this video:
