Strong Signal for Climate Protection and Innovation - One of Germany’s Largest Solar Carport Installations Set to Supply Clean Energy to the City of Essen from 2026

Frankfurt am Main, Thursday 6th of February 2025 – The Essener Versorgungs- und Verkehrsgesellschaft (EVV), Messe Essen, and the startups ENVIRIA and ROOF+ are planning to implement one of Germany’s largest solar carport projects. A photovoltaic system with a capacity of more than 11,000 kilowatt-peak is set to be installed on Messe Essen’s P10 parking lot, covering an area of 50,520 square meters. A total of 25,000 solar modules will be mounted on the carport, supplying the city with approximately 11.2 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity per year. This will enable annual CO₂ savings of more than 5,200 tons. The grid connection and commissioning are scheduled for 2026.

“This project demonstrates how urban spaces can be used for sustainable energy supply,” says Jochen Sander, Managing Director of EVV. “Together with Messe Essen and the companies ENVIRIA and ROOF+, we aim to send a strong signal for climate protection and innovation in Essen.” 

“Messe Essen is the platform for future technologies. This applies not only to our numerous international trade fairs but also to our own infrastructure,” explains Oliver P. Kuhrt, Managing Director of Messe Essen. “The expansion of renewable energy is therefore a major concern for us, and we are very pleased to set a strong example for climate protection at P10 in the future.”

ENVIRIA CEO Melchior Schulze Brock is also enthusiastic: “We want to enable the public sector to switch to solar power easily. Our 360-degree approach in Essen shows how this can work.” From planning to installation and maintenance, everything is provided from a single source. “With ENVIRIA, we have a partner that can support us from start to finish and offer a solution tailored to the needs of the city of Essen. This makes the implementation particularly efficient,” explains Jochen Sander. 

Nearly 100 percent of the electricity generated will go directly to the city of Essen. The carports for the photovoltaic system will also be sourced from the Ruhr region to ensure value creation remains local. At the same time, the project demonstrates how existing infrastructure can be used sustainably. 

To mark the commissioning of the solar carport, representatives from the city of Essen, EVV, Messe Essen, as well as solar companies ENVIRIA from Frankfurt/Main and ROOF+ from Bochum, visited the site to get an up-to-date impression of the area. Once planning is completed and the building permit is obtained, construction of the solar carport will begin. Completion and commissioning are scheduled for 2026. 

Essener Versorgungs- und Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (EVV) is a holding company of the city of Essen. It holds stakes in Stadtwerke Essen AG, Ruhrbahn GmbH, and other companies. EVV is driving the expansion of renewable energies, participating in the creation of additional electricity generation capacities through photovoltaics, developing a municipal heating plan for the city of Essen, and pursuing projects in the field of energy infrastructure. 

https://evv-essen.de/

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