Solar-Village Nebikon: Four companies rely on solar energy

Welcome to the Solar Village Nebikon: Four companies in the industrial areas of Stämpfelfeld and Schürmatt produce electricity with photovoltaic systems. The annual electricity production of the photovoltaic plant of Egli-Mühlen AG amounts to 550,000 kilowatt hours - this corresponds to the energy demand of 115 single-family houses. Imbach & Cie. AG produces 300,000 kilowatt hours and Grob AG 280,000. Galliker Transport AG produces around 13.755 megawatt hours of electricity annually with its own photovoltaic systems throughout Switzerland, mostly at its headquarters in Altishofen, Nebikon & Dagmersellen.

Animal Feed and Greenlogistics

The photovoltaic system of Egli-Mühlen AG cannot be overlooked. The striking installation on the facade of the silo has been in operation since December 2021. The company uses the energy produced in this way to grind the raw material and sanitize the animal feed. "Environmentally friendly nutrition is close to our hearts," says Managing Director Simon Egli. "The photovoltaic system contributes a lot to that." The role models, he says, have been the customers - the farmers. "Many have been producing electricity with solar energy for years." Corinne Galliker, a member of the management board, is responsible for sales & marketing at the Altishofen-based family business: "We offer sustainable services under the Green Logistics by Galliker label," she says. Galliker has been producing solar power for ten years. Among other things, it flows into the batteries of electric vehicles that are stored or refurbished at the Nebiker Car Logistics Center. Since 2021, Galliker has relied 100% on LED lighting. In the area of mobility, Galliker supports the development of alternative drive systems for trucks and is already using several electric and hydrogen trucks. By 2040, 50 percent of the fleet is to be CO2-neutral on the road, and by 2050 the entire fleet.

Metal components and gears

For over 133 years, Imbach & Cie Solutions in Metal has been manufacturing components from a wide variety of metals. They are forged with machines with several 1000 tons of pressing force, at temperatures of over 1000 degrees. The raw material is heated in gas- or electricity-powered furnaces. "Our goal is to cover 50 percent of our own needs with self-produced solar power in the future," says CEO Sandra Imbach. "Efficiency and sustainability have always been key issues for us. That's why we want to be a role model in this area as well." Rafael Fellmann, Managing Director of the neighboring Grob AG, has a similar opinion. "The environment has been close to our hearts for a long time. We have been relying on photovoltaics since 2013." The company produces just under a quarter of the electrical energy it needs each year itself. In addition, it operates heat recovery from compressors, the entire lighting system has been converted to LED, and one looks in vain for an oil heating system in the plant. "But we haven't reached our goal yet," Rafael Fellmann relativizes. "Every year, we strive for further optimizations to save even more energy." He is speaking from the heart of Sandra Imbach, Corinne Galliker and Simon Egli. They all stand for sustainability in action.

Four family businesses – one vision

Sustainability is important to all companies involved in the Solar Village. They are also united by their long tradition: Egli-Mühlen AG has been producing first-class feed since 1891 and is one of the leading suppliers of compound feed for pigs, cows and poultry. Galliker Transport AG was founded in 1918 as a haulage company. Today it offers comprehensive services in the field of transport and logistics. Grob AG has been in existence since 1947 and produces high-quality gears and drive parts for the entire world market. Since 1889, Imbach Solutions has been producing complex and ready-to-install metal components in metal, which are used in the medical and biotechnology sectors, or in energy technology, among others.

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