Our Factory

"Welcome to our state-of-the-art factory!"

WKV moved into its new factory in Gutach in May 2000. This is the first heavy-machinery workshop in Germany which is fully energy-self-sufficient and operating without any CO₂emissions.

At the heart of the factory, our own powerplant rated at 320 kW covers almost all of our energy needs. The excess power, about 900 000 kWh/year is fed into the public grid. We also use other sources of renewable energy such as solar energy and the heat from the earth.

Heating is based on a resource-sparing low-energy concept, and doesn't use any fossil fuel whatsoever. The residual heat produce by the generators is recovered by heat pumps for heating the offices and workshops. The whole building was designed according to a low energy standard and aligned optimally toward the sun. In addition the "green roofs" provide an uniform micro-climate.

Even construction was carried out in a sustainable fashion. For example, wood from nearby forest was used wherever steel or concrete were not absolutely required.

The overall ecological concept is completed by a rain water recovery system. This water is then used for service water.

The construction of the powerplant, which was sponsored as demonstration project by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (Federal Foundation for the Environment), also allowed to restore a fish migration path in the portion of the river Elz effected by the plant. This created ideal conditions for the restocking of the river with salmon. WKV thus demonstrated that even on a river recognized for its environmental value waterpower can be used in such a way that it is tolerable from an environmental point of view. Likewise, the plant was purposely undersized to preserve the environment.

Our state-of-the-art factory is being talked about. Its reputation reaches beyond our region and encounters a great deal of public interest. This is evidenced by the extensive reporting and publications in the media as well as a great number of visitors.

1. May 2000: WKV state-of-the-art factory in Gutach opens.

History of our state-of-the-art factory

January 1999		Award of the design contract to the architecture and engineering firm "Werkgruppe 1" of Bleibach.
March 1999		Request for permits and authorizations submitted to the authorities.
April 27th 1999		Issue of the permits and authorization for the factory including its integrated hydropower plant on the river Elz.
May 1st 1999		Groundbreaking ceremony and planting of a memorial tree.
Mid June 1999		Construction of the factory starts.
December 1999		Flooding and tropical storm "Lothar" seriously threaten the construction. Fortunately damage was only slight.
December 29th 1999		Trial run of the WKV Francis turbines.
December 31st 1999		The last workmen leave the construction site at 16:00. The powerplant is set up and decorated for the year 2000 celebrations. After an extensive celebration program the many guests toast the new millennium - in a zone free of nuclear power produced electricity!
From January to April 2000		Installation and completion of the remainder of the facilities.
End of April 2000		Landscaping and outside installation are completed.
May 1st 2000		Many thousands of visitors attend our "open-doors"-event in our state-of-the-art factory. The guest speaker, TV-journalist Dr. Franz Alt, addresses the visitors on the subject of "A change of course for our energy supply...".
May 17th 2000		The company management and administrative staff move into our state-of-the-art factory.

Since then several thousands from all over the world have visited our state-of-the-art factory, latest to date a delegation of the Government of Japan.