The Solar Economic Factor

In terms of both economy and ecology, Freiburg has been most successful in the fields of renewable energy research and marketing. A mere glance at the cityscape makes this clear. Solar panels can be found on the roofs of the Badenova Stadium and the City Hall, on schools, churches and private houses, on facades and towers. Looking further a.eld, wind turbines rise from the Black Forest. With more than 1,800 hours of sunshine each year and an annual radiation intensity of 1,117 kilowatts (kW) per square-meter, Freiburg is one of the sunniest cities in Germany.

Favourable Conditions

The Solar Factory

All this is not due only to Freiburg’s natural conditions. Primarily factors such as the citizens’ high levels of environmental awareness, political priorities and targeted economic development, have allowed Freiburg to become a Solar Capital. Here, the opportunities offered by solar energy, in terms of climate protection, the economy and urban development were recognised earlier than anywhere else. This pioneering action has been reinforced by countless awards and high visitor numbers to unique projects, such as the world’s first energy selfsustaining solar building, the Heliotrope, the solar village created by Rolf Disch, or the zero-energy houses of the Vauban neighbourhood. Even the local football stadium has become an attraction as the first stadium worldwide to have its own solar plant.