Against the background of sales of 43 million francs in 2023 and growth of 18%, the Swiss cloud provider Infomaniak is putting two solar power plants into operation with a total capacity of 420 kWp. The 1,085 installed modules are manufactured in Germany by the Meyer Burger company using renewable energy and, with optimal solar radiation, cover 55% of the electricity requirements of a data center of around 700 kW.
The Swiss company is committed to sustainable digitalization and will install a third power plant with 364 modules this year in order to generate 50% of its annual total electricity consumption by 2030.
On the way to an energy self-sufficient Swiss cloud
Infomaniak is already economically independent and fully controls its infrastructures and the development of its cloud and productivity solutions. Now the company also wants to become self-sufficient in terms of renewable energies.
“We would like to install a new solar power plant every year in order to cover 50% of our annual electricity consumption ourselves by 2030. It is important to diversify the mix of renewable energy to use hydropower more intelligently. Solar energy can be used to pump water from rivers and feed it back to the turbines, so that energy can be generated even at night or in bad weather. Glacier water is precious and should be used as a battery and not just consumed once,” says Boris Siegenthaler, founder and strategic director of Infomaniak.
With intense and direct sunlight on the modules, the power plants in operation currently cover 55% of Infomaniak’s electricity needs in 2023. Extrapolated to the year, the two power plants will generate 6-7% of the electricity consumed under real conditions.
Two power plants in operation
- Number of high-performance modules: 1085
- kWp (power): 420
- kWh (Energy): 400000
Another power plant planned for 2024
- Number of high-performance modules: 364
- kWp (power): 130
- kWh (Energy): 120000
“The solar energy generated by Infomaniak is consumed immediately without using the grid. “Infomaniak is thus contributing to the goals of the Federal Office of Energy’s (SFOE) Energy Strategy 2050, which aims, among other things, at expanding renewable energies in Switzerland,” explains Claude Cornaz, Board Member of SwissElectricity.
Low-carbon solar panels manufactured in Europe
“Today, generating solar energy in our latitudes with Asian solar modules makes no sense in terms of efficiency and the CO2 footprint. It should be borne in mind that mineral resources must be mined for import and production. Therefore, preference should be given to local manufacturers who keep their impact as low as possible,” explains Boris Siegenthaler.
The Meyer Burger factory is located in southern Germany, completely eliminates lead, uses less solvents, contributes to the economic development of the region and guarantees stable yields and 92% module performance after 25 years. In addition, the HJT cells further developed by Meyer Burger can absorb more solar energy than conventional cells, so that more electricity is generated in cloudy weather.
Economically competitive energy
To date, a total of 868,350 francs have been invested in the solar power plants in operation.
“When Infomaniak decided to build its own power plants with modules from Meyer Burger, the production costs were not advantageous. The impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the energy markets and Infomaniak’s new supply contract have changed the situation and now make renewable energy more competitive than before,” concludes Claude Cornaz.
During the depreciation period, the production costs of the solar power generated by Infomaniak should, on average, correspond to the current purchase price on the open market, especially since there is no need to pay for electricity transport. After twelve years, the energy from solar power plants will be practically “free”, taking into account that a solar power plant has a lifespan of 30 years.
Implement sustainable digitalization that is compatible with the planet
Global cloud investments are expected to increase by 20.4% in 2024. This polluting industry emits more CO2 and uses more energy every year. With an increase in electricity consumption of 15.9% in 2023, Infomaniak is no exception to this trend.
Since 2007, Infomaniak has gradually taken measurable measures to reduce its CO2 emissions, electricity consumption and environmental impact:
- 100% renewable energy purchased.
- Promoting gentle mobility with an annual bonus.
- CO2 emissions compensated twice (100% in Switzerland, 100% abroad).
- Extension of server lifespan up to 15 years.
- Development of data centers cooled without air conditioning with an energy efficiency indicator (PUE) below 1.1 (European average: 1.8).
- Development of a new type of data center that completely reuses the energy used to heat households.
- Procurement of locally manufactured components wherever possible.
- Continuous improvement of the company’s environmental impact and energy efficiency with ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 standards.
More information at: www.infomaniak.com
Those: Infomaniak