_{Endless Energy Centre Schaumburg}

On August 23, 2021, Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Olaf Lies handed over the funding decision of around 1.77 million euros in Bückeburg for the construction of Germany's largest energy self-sufficient office building, the Endless Energy Center (EEZ) Schaumburg. The building will be equipped with a photovoltaic system and battery storage. An electrolyser, a fuel cell and a hydrogen storage system will also be installed to ensure a year-round supply of electricity and heat for a usable area of 1090 m² on three floors. This makes the EEZ the first completely self-sufficient office building in Germany. 

View of the planned Endless Energy Center in Bückeburg. ©EEZ-Schaumburg

The battery serves as short-term intermediate storage for power peaks, both in terms of generation and electricity demand. Hydrogen serves as long-term storage. Dieter Ahrens, Managing Director of EEZ GmbH & Co. KG: "I am overjoyed and highly motivated to finally get started. With this project, we want to show how photovoltaics can provide a reliable energy supply all year round." At the same time, the project is a good example of sector coupling suitable for everyday use, as the high output of the photovoltaic system also enables the operation of charging stations for electric vehicles. "We see this as a great example of the workplace of tomorrow - and the first of this size in the whole of Germany. The Endless Energy Center shows that a building can already be powered entirely by renewable energy and be completely self-sufficient. An opportunity for climate protection that we would also like to use for other buildings in the future," said Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Olaf Lies.