Milestone for Solar Power: Wien Energie Operates 500 Photovoltaic Systems

By July 2025, Wien Energie will already be operating 500 photovoltaic systems in Austria. The company thereby achieves a total output of around 200 megawatts and actively promotes the energy transition through the steadily increasing expansion pace. In the last two and a half years, Wien Energie has implemented about half of the total photovoltaic output itself.

A Quarter Century of Photovoltaic Innovations by Wien Energie

"Every new photovoltaic system, whether small or large, ensures an independent energy supply for the people of Vienna - and also produces 100 percent green electricity. With the solar power initiative of the city of Vienna and the innovative strength of Wien Energie, we ensure that solar power in Vienna continuously increases and Vienna remains the solar power capital. Overall, with the Wien Energie systems, we already supply the equivalent of 100,000 Viennese households with solar power," says Ulli Sima, Vienna's City Councillor for Urban Development, Mobility, and Vienna Public Utilities. Karl Gruber, Managing Director of Wien Energie, adds: "We are putting all our efforts into the energy transition and an affordable and clean energy supply. On average, we build photovoltaic areas the size of a football field every week.

In the last 25 years, we have implemented a multitude of PV innovations: from particularly lightweight organic or bifacial photovoltaic modules to some of the steepest and largest systems in the country - and we have much more planned." For about 25 years, Wien Energie has been actively involved in the development, construction, and operation of photovoltaic systems on various surfaces and roof types. One of the first own systems is the photovoltaic system on the roof of the UNO-City, which was put into operation in the year 2000 at the turn of the millennium. Even before this system, Wien Energie had been involved in various photovoltaic systems in the city area. In recent years, the company has significantly accelerated the expansion of its capacities.

Wien Energie Plans 70 New Photovoltaic Systems

"Photovoltaics is the key to an independent, climate-friendly, and affordable energy future for our city. Every ray of sunshine that we convert into clean electricity makes us independent of fossil imports and protects against future energy crises. With the pace that Wien Energie is setting, the energy transition is not only feasible but tangible - and lays the foundation for a real upswing," says Stefan Gara, energy spokesperson for the Vienna NEOS. "The 500 photovoltaic systems of Wien Energie show how consistently the city is advancing the energy transition," says Julia Lessacher, Deputy District Chairwoman of Mariahilf, and adds: "In our district, the House of the Sea has been making a valuable contribution to sustainable energy supply with its solar system since 2019. The photovoltaic modules supply the animal areas in the extension of the Aqua Zoo with green electricity. Such projects demonstrate that climate protection can be successfully combined with the city's leisure attractions. Wien Energie thus sets important impulses for environmentally conscious urban development.

Wien Energie has successfully implemented various solar projects with the photovoltaic system on the roof of the UNO-City. This includes the system at the Karmelitermarkt, making it the first energy self-sufficient market in Europe, as well as the solar power plant Schafflerhofstraße, which, with 17 hectares, is Vienna's largest open space system and provides grazing land for 150 sheep. Numerous roofs of schools and significant buildings like the Vienna City Hall have also been equipped with solar systems. By 2025, Wien Energie plans over 70 new photovoltaic systems and aims to increase the output to 600 megawatts by 2030, to achieve a total of 1,000 megawatts from renewable sources.

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