The garage as energy center

Garages have long ceased to be merely a place for keeping motor vehicles. They are frequently used as hobby rooms or private workshops. The German manufacturer of precast concrete garages Zapf GmbH, in collaboration with Akkon Solar GmbH, Munich, has introduced an innovation to the market: a self-supply energy center that, thanks to a solar-panel system on the roof, can generate electricity from the sun. A battery inside the garage stores the power.

Peak performance of the solar system for a double garage is about 4.4 kW. Depending on the location, up to around 3,100 to 4,000 kWh of power can be generated per year. In Germany, this equals average annual electric power consumption for a family of three.

Electricity also in the dark

The precast garage makes their owners largely energy-independent. “In addition, there are the environmental aspects,” says Johannes Eberlein, product manager of Zapf GmbH. “Around 3,500 kg of CO₂ can be saved with solar power in such applications.”

The system consists of solar modules on the roof and a battery inside the garage. The battery can be easily hooked up to the house utilities connections. The energy stored in the battery usually ensures energy supply even when the sun does not shine. When the battery is fully charged, the generated energy can be fed into the power grid.

Easily installed

For those who own a battery-powered car, or for those who are thinking about acquiring one, the home energy center offers yet another plus: an effective solar energy fuel station for solar-electric traction vehicles of any kind in their own garage. The electrical equipment for new Zapf garages is flush-mounted, but retrofitted surface-mounted installation is also available. Zapf offers many different design possibilities to installers of energy centers in the form of energy-independent garages.

Zapf self-supply garages are mounted within a matter of hours, like all other precast concrete garages from this manufacturer. The installation of the solar power system by the professional service partner of Akkon Solar also requires very little time, making garage owners into energy self-suppliers in about one day. “It is a climate-friendly energy center that combines the high quality and service features of our solutions with the environmental commitment of Akkon Solar GmbH,” says Zapf  product manager Eberlein.