Press release: DFI Real Estate switches to solar power with ENVIRIA

Rastatt – Tuesday, 05 of November 2024 – The real estate developer DFI Real Estate and the solar startup ENVIRIA have agreed to join forces. As part of the partnership, a photovoltaic system of approximately 23,000 square meters with an output of around 1,800 kilowatt peak (kWp) will be built on the roof of the DFI Zukunftspark in Rastatt, part of the portfolio of the ‘HANSA German Logistics Impact Fund’ set up with HANSAINVEST Real Assets. The system, which is scheduled for completion and grid connection in the second quarter of 2025, is expected to produce 1.85 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, thereby saving up to 870 tons of CO2.

DFI Real Estate leases the roof area of the Zukunftspark to ENVIRIA. The startup is building a solar installation on it, operating it and selling the green electricity generated. The plan is for tenants to benefit from affordable electricity, which will reduce their energy costs and contribute to the sustainability of the building.

"We chose ENVIRIA because of their high level of technical understanding and their fast and efficient project management," explains Andreas Fleischer, founder and managing partner of DFI Real Estate. ENVIRIA's CEO and Founder Melchior Schulze Brock explains: "The potential for commercial real estate to contribute to the energy transition is huge. We are delighted to make the switch to solar power easier with our innovative solutions. DFI Real Estate and ENVIRIA share the same philosophy." Ben Dörks and Jannick Heil, the project managers at ENVIRIA, underline the importance of the partnership: "Our collaboration with DFI Real Estate is proof of our commitment to developing customized and sustainable energy solutions. This project not only sets standards in technical terms, but also in terms of environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness."

Following the successful launch of the project in Rastatt, the project partners intend to implement further projects. Discussions are currently underway to launch additional projects with a total output of approximately 14 megawatts peak (MWp). The projects are part of the initial portfolio of the HANSA German Logistics Impact Fund launched in fall 2023 – Germany's first impact fund for new-build logistics real estate in accordance with Article 9 of the EU Disclosure Regulation. A joint venture was established for the fund, in which HANSAINVEST Real Assets is responsible for transaction and portfolio management and DFI Real Estate for project development and asset management. This means that DFI Real Estate will manage the logistics property in Rastatt and the other fund properties on a long-term basis, even after their completion.

Driving Future Innovation: DFI Real Estate develops innovative and sustainable industrial, commercial and logistics properties throughout Germany. A team of experienced specialists based in Düsseldorf and Hamburg works to set new standards for the future. The real estate developers focus on the needs of local authorities, users, and investors, which are increasingly geared towards ecology and social issues. Their focus is on tailor-made built-to-suit projects as well as the revitalization of brownfield sites and the development of modern industrial quarters. The experts at DFI Real Estate cover the entire project development value chain - from site identification and development to real estate planning and the design of solutions for resource-efficient operation.

DFI Real Estate is a joint venture between FOX Real Estate – under which the entrepreneur Jörn Reinecke bundles all his real estate investments and companies – and the logistics expert Andreas Fleischer.

ENVIRIA makes it radically easy for companies to switch to solar energy. The startup takes on the financing, planning, installation and operation of solar systems, as well as the integration of charging stations and energy storage. Solar systems can be purchased or rented. ENVIRIA also leases company rooftop areas, operates solar systems on them and markets green electricity. With more than 200 employees, ENVIRIA has implemented more than 500 commercial projects since it was founded in 2017. 

www.enviria.energy