Wine and electricity: Solar energy brings a rich harvest

The small but exquisite Valpolicella wine region east of Lake Garda in the province of Verona is known for its light wines as well as the deep red, heavy Amarone Cesari, which is among Italy's top wines. One of the wineries based here is Cantina Gerardo Cesari in Fumane. The company was founded in 1936 and has been producing wines from the Valpolicella area since 1948. The winery's ongoing success led to an expansion with a new wine cellar in Fumane, inaugurated in early 2021. There, the berries undergo a four- to five-month drying process, followed by pressing, fermentation, and the initial refinement of the wines.

The new wine cellar was designed to harmoniously blend into the landscape, characterized by vineyards, olive groves, pine forests, and orchards. Since Cantina Cesari is committed to the principles of tradition and sustainability, the planning that began in 2017 included from the start the installation of a photovoltaic system to produce solar power on the green roof of the new building.

The specific requirements for the fastening solution at the Cantina Cesari project proved to be very demanding, such as fastening without drilling, minimal visibility, and low load on the building roof. "Given these challenges, the fischer aluminium fastening system Solar-Wind II with a 10° tilt was used, which enables installation on flat roofs and utilizes the effects of airflow," explains fischer expert Vittorio Roby. "Due to its design, the wind rolls over the system and thus increases the hold on the substrate even in strong winds." The weights required for ballasting, such as stone slabs, are relatively light. "This reduces the risk of accidental damage to the roofing felt; moreover, grounding is not done for each module row individually, but for entire sub-systems, and finally, the string cables are mounted hanging under the photovoltaic modules," says Roby. Solar-Wind II is thus the intelligent flat roof mounting system optimized for maximum weight reduction with ballasting. It consists of a few aluminium angles and rails as well as corresponding stainless steel screws and accessories. The quick installation requires only aligning the first row and using few weights on the roof. Thus, it is ideal for sensitive roof coverings with limited load capacity.

With the Solar-Fix range, the fischer national company fischer Italia operates very successfully in the market. Thanks to its expertise in the field of solar systems, it has earned a special position. "fischer Italia is the competence center within the corporate group for the development of the range of fasteners for photovoltaic and solar thermal systems," says Riccardo Frizzarin, product manager for the Solar-Fix program. "The increasing focus on renewable and clean energy has led to the Solar-Fix range growing to more than 150 items, covering all areas of application, from small solar roofs in the private sector to large commercial systems," emphasizes Frizzarin. A high degree of innovation and high-quality materials, such as special aluminum alloys and stainless steel, ensure that the highest mechanical strength is achieved with optimal weight. Frizzarin points out that the components of Solar-Fix carry the TÜV quality certificate, thanks to the strictly controlled production processes, the use of high-quality raw materials, and the strict checks on the final product.