The energy pioneer Franz Ammersdorfer

From water power to solar energy

Franz Ammersdorfer has always believed in the power of progress. With his own photovoltaic system, he is part of the energy revolution and is seeking to act as an example for others.

His mission is to promote the sustainable use of natural resources - to pass on a world worth living in for our children and grandchildren. In doing so, he is demonstrating how a small idea can lead to achieving something big.

The first step towards Photovoltaics

It all started with a simple, but ingenious idea. Franz Ammersdorfer is the proud owner of a series of fish ponds that are connected by a stream. The fact that the energy generated as the water flowed from pond to pond was unused gave energy-conscious Franz, a trained electrician, pause for thought. It didn’t take him long to construct a small test turbine that generated power through a dynamo. His plan worked: the turbine ran without problem 24 hours a day, generating a continuous supply of green energy.

The only thing was, he kept having to change the bearings every few years, as the turbine was in constant motion. This caused Franz to start thinking about other ways of generating renewable energy that do not involve moving parts, such as photovoltaics. “That was my first toe into the world of PV,” retells Franz enthusiastically.

» The inverter has been running since day 1 and I haven’t had a single problem. I am very happy with it. «

Loyal to the original for 23 years

Franz also asked himself one important question at the time: “Is it worth it?”.

His initial uncertainty soon evaporated once he connected the inverter and saw the power it generated.

“At the time, the inverter was a prototype. The agreement was that once it went into series production, I would get a series-production model.”

But, there was no need as the Sunrise 2000 installed at the time has been running without problem for the past 23 years and to date Franz has never had cause to replace it: “The inverter has been running since day 1 and I haven’t had a single problem with it."

Now on the road with solar energy

Since then, the energy pioneer has extended his system and is using his solar energy to run his whole household. And he’s still adopting energy-efficient solutions to this day: “I have bought an electric vehicle, which I can charge with my own electricity produced from the sun.”

Boldly towards a sunny future

Franz is in no doubt: “There will always be pioneers, and without them nothing would ever develop any further. If we continue to treat our environment in this way, then it will hit back.”

He is of the firm belief that: “We need to have the courage to make changes and to perhaps listen a little more to what the energy pioneers have to say.”