Renewable energy
It would have been impossible to industrialise our region without using hydroelectric power. This source of energy also played a crucial part in setting up the HOS textile companies. Originally used to power production machinery directly, it was utilised to generate electricity instead from the early 20th century. This primarily served the firm’s own factories. In other words, HOS has been choosing renewables as a matter of course for more than two centuries.
Each year, our company generates approx. 8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity with its three run-of-river power plants on the Neckar and an installed capacity totalling 1.3 megawatts per annum. This is equivalent to the average annual consumption of about 5,000 individuals or approx. 2,500 households.
Hydroelectric power today
Germany now has very few sites where new hydroelectric power plants could be built. To increase production despite this, we constantly expand and modernise our existing facilities. Extensive modernisation work is planned over the coming years to comply with our legal obligation to ensure the ecological integrity of surface water bodies, even at weirs.
Hydroelectric power will continue to play an important role at our company, complemented by other renewables. For instance, hydroelectric power will form an integral part of our Neckarspinnerei Quartier development, which is designed to be energy self-sufficient.
