Salzburg relies on solar: 80 electric buses for the green future!

Salzburg relies on solar: 80 electric buses for the green future!

Fresh wind has moved into the city bus fleet in Salzburg. The Albus Salzburg transport companies have started a project, which is luminous at the location, a large solar roof has been put into operation, which will massively support the fleet of 15 electric buses. In the next three years it is planned to increase the number of 80 electric buses, which are mainly operated with clean solar energy. Electrive reports that the solar roof with impressive dimensions of 81 meters in length, 55 meters in width and 11 meters in height can supply the bus operation more than sufficiently with electricity.

The area of ​​the solar roof of a total of 4,200 square meters is supported by 1,700 photovoltaic modules, which can generate up to 940 MWh of electricity annually. In combination with the existing electricity sources on site, Albus Salzburg even reaches an annual total electricity generation of 1,420 MWh. This amount is enough to supply about 460 households with electricity for a whole year. Good business for the environment and the residents!

Functionality and advantages of the solar roof

The flight roof of the bus depot has no side walls and does not make it possible without supporting columns, which makes it easier to maneuver the e-buses. There is space for up to 42 line buses in the depot, which can also be loaded there. Another plus point: Albus Salzburg has placed great value on sustainability in this project by only being built on sealed areas. The investments for the Solardach were subsidized by the state of Salzburg with around 1.2 million euros. This financing strategy could also have an exemplary character for other cities.

In order to master the challenges of the simultaneous continuation of the bus operation when building the roof, Albus Salzburg showed a good hand. Construction started in October 2024, and despite all the construction work, the bus operations remained without restrictions. Experience shows that the conversion to electric buses in Austria not only is a necessity, but also an opportunity. Because the course for climate -friendly mobility is clearly set.

The role of photovoltaics in e-mobility

In an accompanying research project, the College of University of Applied Sciences Kiel The possibilities also investigate how photovoltaically generated energy can reduce the cover of network current. The findings are promising: When electrification of bus fleets, it can be seen that the use of solar energy not only brings ecological advantages, but also enables costs. However, switching to e-buses must also include the infrastructure-from the depot to the charging stations.

The topic of e-mobility is becoming increasingly relevant in the entire public transport. Urban railways have already been electrified and the buses are now also followed with increasing regularity. The VDV emphasizes that it is important to expand bus traces and give priority to line traffic in order to effectively promote environmentally friendly mobility and to avoid traffic jams. The need for a well -developed charging infrastructure remains a central challenge for transport companies and municipalities.

With the pilot project in Salzburg, Albus and the city set a strong sign of the future of e-mobility. The step towards a larger electric fleet, supported by a sustainable solar roof, could not only be a pioneer for other cities, but is also a sign of the significant progress that Austria makes in the reduction of CO2 emissions in public transport.