Published on: May 18, 2025 / Updated on: May 18, 2025 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Gira Solar Park: 70,000 square meters for the energy transition in Radevormwald – Creative image: Xpert.Digital
Gira is building one of the largest solar parks in North Rhine-Westphalia: a pioneer in sustainability
Using solar power to combat CO₂: Gira reduces emissions by half
The long-established company Gira Giersiepen GmbH & Co. KG has built one of North Rhine-Westphalia's largest photovoltaic power plants in Radevormwald. A solar park is being constructed on an impressive 70,000 square meter site, which is expected to generate around 10 million kilowatt-hours of climate-neutral electricity annually starting in the summer of 2025. The project will not only reduce the company's CO₂ emissions by more than 50 percent, but will also make the building technology specialist less dependent on volatile energy markets. With electricity generation costs of only 5-6 cents per kilowatt-hour, the multi-million euro investment is expected to pay for itself within 6-10 years and represents a pioneering model for industrial self-sufficiency with renewable energy.
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Project overview and objectives of the Gira solar park
The Gira solar park is being built on a 70,000 square meter site on Federal Highway 229 towards Halver, not far from the company's two locations in the Mermbach industrial park in Radevormwald. The project was officially launched on October 28, 2024, by Gira Managing Director Sebastian Marz in the presence of the Mayor of Radevormwald, Johannes Mans, and numerous representatives of the participating companies. Construction of the plant followed a lengthy approval process involving more than 20 offices, institutions, and authorities.
The decision to build its own solar park is strategically significant for Gira: “Relying more heavily on renewable energies and building our own solar power plant is a strategic decision for Gira in several respects: It makes us more independent from the energy markets. Furthermore, it is our stated goal to reduce our CO₂ emissions year after year and thus actively contribute to achieving the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement,” emphasized Managing Director Marz at the official project launch. The solar park is seen as a “clear commitment to the Radevormwald location.”.
The project arose from the company's considerations regarding the development of alternative energy sources. Gira originally planned a combination of solar and wind power in 2021, but had to abandon this plan due to the minimum distance regulations for wind turbines that were in effect at the time. After examining various options, the decision was made to build a solar park on a vacant company site, with direct connection to the factory being a key requirement for the project's economic viability.
Technical details and dimensions
The technical specifications of the Gira solar park are impressive: A total of 13,794 state-of-the-art photovoltaic modules are being installed, each with a capacity of 650 watts. These high-performance modules were specifically selected – the original plan called for over 20,000 less efficient modules, each with a capacity of 450 watts. The more efficient modules increase the annual energy yield by 15 percent.
The photovoltaic modules cover a total area of 37,200 square meters, which is roughly equivalent to 143 tennis courts. To avoid sealing the ground, the modules are mounted on so-called "PV tables," which rest on a total of 6,940 posts driven into the ground, with a combined length of 21 kilometers. The entire substructure also includes 2,570 longitudinal beams with a total length of 16.5 kilometers and 7,250 module supports with a total length of 29 kilometers. A total of 67 kilometers of hot-dip galvanized steel profiles are used.
For networking and electricity transmission, approximately 180 kilometers of power cables and 60 kilometers of fiber optic cables are being laid. These connect the solar park with the two company locations on Dahlienstrasse and Röntgenstrasse. Particular challenges included crossing under a watercourse and Federal Highway 483, which have now been overcome.
Timeline and current project status
The planning phase for the Gira solar park began in 2021 with considerations of alternative energy sources and lasted approximately two years. A key milestone was the unanimous decision by the Radevormwald city council to amend the development plan, thus paving the way for the construction of the solar park.
The solar park is being built in several phases. Following the official project launch on October 28, 2024, the substructures for the photovoltaic modules were erected first. The installation of the modules progressed rapidly: By the beginning of March 2025, over 95 percent of the 13,772 photovoltaic modules had already been installed. “The final row of modules will be installed as soon as the three transformers are delivered and connected in May, according to the current schedule,” explained Dietmar Daszkiewicz, Head of Facility Management, who is responsible for the project.
Parallel to the installation of the modules, the cable connections to the company's locations are being established. In March 2025, 50 meters of cable were still needed to connect the Gira production, development, and logistics center on Röntgenstrasse, and another 300 meters were needed to connect the Dahlienstrasse campus, which houses the plastics manufacturing facility and a large part of the company administration.
The solar park is scheduled to go into operation in early summer 2025. At the official project presentation, Managing Director Marz and Energy Manager Paasch expressed their confidence: “If everything goes according to plan, we will meet here again in early summer 2025 to jointly commission the Gira solar park.”
Economic and environmental benefits
The Gira solar park promises both economic and environmental benefits for the company. The investment costs for the PV modules, transformers, grid connection, and new power lines are in the mid-single-digit millions. These costs are offset by significant savings in electricity costs: the generation costs for one kilowatt-hour of solar power will be between five and six cents – less than a third of the current purchase price.
Depending on the success of the planned storage concept, Gira anticipates a payback period of six to ten years. Dietmar Daszkiewicz emphasizes: “That the investment in the solar park will pay off financially is beyond question for us. It's simply a matter of 'when'.” The company plans to use approximately 70 percent of the electricity from the solar park for its own purposes in the future and feed the remainder into the public grid.
From an ecological perspective, the solar park enables a significant reduction in the company's CO₂ emissions. Gira anticipates that the direct electricity-related greenhouse gas emissions will permanently decrease by more than 50 percent thanks to the green electricity generated by the solar park. "As part of Gira's climate strategy, we will thus be able to permanently reduce our electricity-related CO₂ emissions by over 50%," the company states on its website.
The reduction is expected to be even greater in the future, as Gira plans to gradually replace technologies that have so far been powered by natural gas with electrically powered alternatives: “For example, large heat pumps will take over the heating of our buildings in the future instead of our combined heat and power plants, and we will use compressors instead of absorption chillers for cooling,” explains Giancarlo Paasch, who, as energy manager at Gira, is jointly responsible for the construction of the solar park.
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Local impacts and contribution to the energy transition
The Gira solar park will not only affect the company itself, but also the town of Radevormwald and its residents. The solar park is being built in an industrial area, and to prevent glare for drivers and residents, the site will be enclosed by a solid fence.
Mayor Johannes Mans welcomes the project and acknowledges Gira's pioneering role: "I welcome the fact that Gira is using this area to pursue forward-looking goals of its own and those of the Paris Climate Agreement." At the same time, he emphasized the need to consider the interests of various groups such as the citizens, agriculture, and nature conservation.
The residents of Radevormwald will also benefit from the solar park. According to Oliver vom Lehn, who is partly responsible for the installation of the system, approximately 15 percent of the 22,000 residents could be supplied with the surplus electricity: “Naturally, priority is always given to supplying the industrial plant first, but of course, there is a simultaneous demand. This means that in the summer around midday, the plant will produce more electricity than Gira can consume. And then, of course, the plant also supplies the public grid.”
An interesting detail is the planned use of sheep to maintain the green spaces beneath the photovoltaic modules. The modules' substructure prevents complete soil sealing, ensuring the area underneath remains usable for flora and fauna. Gira plans to use approximately 50 to 70 sheep to graze the grass. The company is still looking for a suitable flock and has invited interested shepherds to get in touch.
A model for the industrial energy transition
The Gira solar park in Radevormwald is an impressive example of how medium-sized industrial companies can actively contribute to the energy transition. With an annual electricity generation of almost 10 million kilowatt hours on an area of 70,000 square meters, the plant is one of the largest photovoltaic power plants in North Rhine-Westphalia and demonstrates the potential of renewable energies for industrial self-sufficiency.
The combination of economic and environmental benefits makes the project particularly compelling. By significantly reducing electricity costs and achieving independence from volatile energy markets, Gira strengthens its competitiveness while simultaneously and considerably reducing CO₂ emissions. Dietmar Daszkiewicz sums it up perfectly: “Economic efficiency and sustainability are not two separate things.”
Looking to the future, Gira is planning further steps: The switch from natural gas-powered to electric-powered technologies is intended to further increase CO₂ reduction, and a sophisticated storage concept with battery and buffer storage systems is designed to optimize the use of solar power. The company is thus demonstrating that it is not only focusing on renewable energies in the short term, but is pursuing a long-term decarbonization strategy.
The Gira solar park could serve as a model for other medium-sized companies seeking ways to make their energy supply more sustainable and independent. It demonstrates that the energy transition is not only a challenge but also an economic opportunity that can be successfully leveraged with forward-looking planning and a willingness to invest.
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