PV installations of ZMS/OVEG Schwandorf - Sustainable Regional Value Creation and Decarbonization in the Oberpfalz Region
The photovoltaic (PV) installations operated by the Zweckverband Müllverwertung Schwandorf (ZMS)—a municipal waste management association—and its subsidiary, Ostbayerische Verwertungs- und Energieerzeugungsgesellschaft mbH (OVEG), make a significant contribution to the regional energy transition.
ZMS
Collectively, the various PV systems located on the landfill site and at the power plant facilities generate approximately 1.6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of climate-friendly solar power annually. This results in an annual COâ‚‚ reduction of around 1,450 tonnes.
Introduction and Background
As a municipal waste management provider, ZMS operates a waste-to-energy plant in Schwandorf. Its other facilities and responsibilities include a.o. commercial waste disposal, bottom ash processing, waste transfer stations, and sewage sludge drying. To make the Schwandorf site increasingly ecologically sustainable and to advance the energy transition, ZMS and OVEG operate several photovoltaic systems on the association's premises alongside their thermal waste recovery operations.
Structure of PV Systems and Sustainable Energy Generation
To displace fossil fuels, ZMS and OVEG make targeted use of open spaces on their premises as well as rooftop areas.
The three key PV installations at the site are:
- Mathiasgrube Landfill: Built by OVEG on the site of a former landfill, this ground-mounted system is one of the largest of its kind in Germany. It serves the ecological repurposing of landfill areas.
- Sewage Sludge Drying Facility (ZTKS): The photovoltaic system on the roof of the sewage sludge drying facility utilizes sealed industrial surfaces.
- ZMS Site East: Another system (located in the immediate vicinity of the sewage sludge drying facility) directly meets local energy needs on-site.
Background map: © Bavarian Surveying Authority (2018). Data source: Geoportal Bayern www.geoportal.bayern.de
Collectively, the PV systems generate a substantial regional yield. Current generation data are:
- Mathiasgrube landfill: Installed capacity of 1,712 kWp, annual generation of approx. 1,440,150 kWh (2025).
- ZTKS sewage sludge drying facility: Installed capacity of 107 kWp, annual generation of approx. 86,446 kWh (2025).
- ZMS site (East): Installed capacity of 70 kWp, annual generation of approx. 70,155 kWh (2025).
Background map: © Bavarian Surveying Authority (2018). Data source: Geoportal Bayern www.geoportal.bayern.de
Total generation
thus amounts to approximately 1,596,751 kWh per year. Mathematically, this is equivalent to
supplying around 500 to 550 households.
The PV systems contribute to sustainable energy generation in two ways:
- Avoidance of grid losses: Solar power is generated regionally and locally, with some of it consumed directly by operational facilities (such as the sewage sludge drying plant).
- Emission-free operation (while simultaneously replacing fossil fuel-based energy sources).
COâ‚‚ savings
COâ‚‚-neutral electricity generation reduces the demand for conventional coal-fired power within the German electricity grid. Based on the average specific emissions of the German electricity mix, this results in a significant reduction in COâ‚‚.
The Mathiasgrube landfill solar plant alone saves around 1,300 tonnes of climate-damaging COâ‚‚ annually through emission-free power generation. When the systems at the sewage sludge drying plant and the ZMS-East site are included, the total annual COâ‚‚ saving amounts to approximately 1,450 tonnes.
Within the overall context of ZMS—including the waste-to-energy plant, which has saved millions of tonnes of CO₂ over the past four decades by substituting lignite—these photovoltaic systems represent an important contribution in achieving the district's climate protection goals.
Jobs and Regional Economic Development
OVEG was originally established to restructure the disposal of commercial and industrial waste, creating new administrative and logistical jobs. The ongoing modernization of the entire power plant infrastructure (Project Triphönix), along with the installation of PV systems, their regular maintenance, and ongoing operational management, creates and secures additional jobs.
- Planning and Construction: Constructing the systems—particularly on challenging terrain (such as the concrete strip foundations at the Mathiasgrube landfill)—required specialized engineering services.
- Maintenance and Operation: The technical management of the solar parks engages service providers and creates jobs in the renewable energy sector.
- Securing Skilled Labor: The entire ZMS group acts as a major provider of vocational training in the region (particularly for industrial electronics technicians and industrial mechanics), thereby securing the skilled personnel needed to operate such complex energy facilities.
Conclusion
The PV installations by ZMS and OVEG are far more than mere "prestige projects." They demonstrate how combining thermal waste recovery with photovoltaics creates an ecological and economic symbiosis. With an annual yield of just under 1.6 million kWh and a COâ‚‚ reduction of 1,450 tonnes, they make a measurable contribution to climate protection, while the corporate group strengthens value creation in the Upper Palatinate region as an employer and provider of vocational training.
Alustr. 7
D - 92421 Schwandorf
phone:+49 9431 631500
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