Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution (PTD; Erlangen, Germany) has installed a photovoltaic system at the Nuremberg soccer stadium. Siemens PTD was the prime contractor for the order placed by German insurer KarstadtQuelle Versicherungen.

The roof-mounted system, which is the largest of its kind at any of the stadiums staging matches at the 2006 World Football Championships, has been feeding up to 140 kW of solar-generated power into the Nuremberg power-supply system since May 19, 2006.

Each of the 758 solar modules, covering an area of about 1000 sq m 10,764 sq ft) of the stadium roof, delivers 185 W of electricity in full sunshine. Two 60-kVA power inverters in master-slave configuration transform the direct current produced by the solar modules into three-phase alternating current at 400 V. The power inverters are equipped with monitoring and display systems, which also enable remote monitoring and control of the solar system.

To further optimize power efficiency, Siemens PTD experts took the geometry of the 42-m (138-ft)-high roof into account, and thus the position of the six rows of solar modules, when designing the power inverters and adapted the devices accordingly.

Following the completion of project planning and system engineering at its competence center for solar projects in the Netherlands, Siemens PTD needed just three weeks for project management and implementation of the project.