The German Aerospace Center (Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is taking an important step towards sustainability: by installing photovoltaic (PV) systems on our roofs, façades and open spaces, we are maximising our in-house electrical energy supply and taking a huge step toward our goal of becoming climate neutral by 2035. These efforts are key to ensuring our energy security and helping us achieve our climate targets.
The use of photovoltaics (PV) offers numerous advantages for DLR:
Cost reduction: By saving electricity costs, future PV projects can be refinanced – a sustainable approach known as intracting (short for 'internal contracting').
Carbon dioxide reduction: PV systems help us electrify and decarbonise DLR. Switching from fossil-fuel to electrically powered systems sustainably reduces our carbon dioxide emissions.
Energy security: Generating our energy in-house strengthens our independence and the security of our supply, making us more resilient to external influences.
Spotlight: PV system in Cottbus
DLR's first large-scale PV system at the Cottbus site was brought into operation in mid-July 2025 following modifications to the switchgear. With a peak output of 414 kilowatts (kWp) and an expected annual energy generation of 380,000 kilowatt hours (kWh), the system makes a significant contribution to meeting the site's electricity requirements. The energy generated is used exclusively to meet internal demand. Installed on a former airport apron, the system was funded by a programme from the Brandenburg state business development bank (Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg; ILB) and completed by DLR's facility management.
The Cottbus site has additional space for future PV projects, and any surplus electricity could also be made available to other DLR sites through 'grid balancing' (Bilanzkreismanagement) – a mechanism that allocates excess power within a network of connected sites.
Photovoltaic system at DLR's Cottbus site
With a peak output of 414 kilowatts and an anticipated annual energy generation of 380,000 kilowatt hours, the Cottbus system has been making a significant contribution to covering the site's electricity needs since July 2025.
Another example of our commitment to climate-neutrality can be seen at our site in Weilheim, near Munich, where a rooftop system with a peak capacity of 37 kilowatts was commissioned in 2024. Two further ground-mounted systems have been built there and are expected to go 'online' in 2025, subject to approval by the grid operator. The annual output of approximately 400,000 kilowatt hours will be used entirely to supply the site. In addition to Cottbus and Weilheim, numerous PV projects are also planned at other DLR sites.
PV system at DLR's Weilheim site
A roof system with a peak output of 37 kilowatts was commissioned in Weilheim in 2024. Two additional ground-mounted systems have since been built, which are due to be connected to the network in 2025. It is expected that approximately 400,000 kilowatt hours of electricity will be generated annually, fully covering the site's needs.
