Germany's Phoenix Contact offers glimpse into 'all-electric society'

Reporters look around the All Electric Society Park at Phoenix Contact's headquarters in Blomberg, Germany, Feb. 24 (local time). Courtesy of Phoenix Contact

BLOMBERG, Germany — Two gigantic circular solar modules stand near the entrance to Phoenix Contact’s headquarters in this small German town, looking at first glance like radio telescopes.

Called “solar trackers,” the 12-meter and 8-meter dishes were rotating slowly on Feb. 24 to follow the course of the sun, just as radio telescopes track radio waves in the sky.

Now a local landmark, the solar trackers are part of Phoenix Contact’s All Electric Society Park, which opened in 2023 as part of the terminal block manufacturer's 100th anniversary celebrations.

The family-owned company, which has more than 20,000 employees worldwide, built the park on 7,860 square meters of land with a 20 million euro ($23.6 million) investment to demonstrate that it is possible to secure sufficient and affordable energy from renewable sources.

Phoenix Contact Chief Operating Officer Ulrich Leidecker, right, introduces the company to reporters at its headquarters in Blomberg, Germany, Feb. 24 (local time). Courtesy of Phoenix Contact

“This is a big exhibition booth,” Chief Operating Officer Ulrich Leidecker said as he welcomed global journalists to company headquarters a day ahead of a press preview event for the Hannover Messe trade fair in April.

Phoenix Contact uses the park to showcase how its products are used in various renewable energy technologies, including solar paving stones for pedestrian paths and dual land use technologies for agriculture and solar power generation, which are also being tested in Korea.

An underground ice storage unit was also notable, because the technology of generating energy through the phase change of water is applied to Phoenix Contact’s All Electric Society Factory, located next to the park.

Leidecker described the factory as “energy positive,” saying it produces more energy annually than it consumes.

Martin Wetter, executive vice president of Phoenix Contact, introduces All Electric Society Factory's direct current grid system at the company headquarters in Blomberg, Germany, Feb. 24 (local time). Courtesy of Phoenix Contact

Before giving a tour of the facility, the German firm explained its use of direct current (DC), which it calls a better option than alternating current (AC), which came to dominate global infrastructure due to its ability to transport electricity over long distances.

Over the course of the introduction and tour, the company demonstrated how the factory is being used as a testbed for DC technology applications, including rooftop solar panels, lighting systems, robots and electric vehicle charging stations.

Martin Wetter, executive vice president of Phoenix Contact, said DC makes it easier to generate power from renewable sources and helps reduce copper consumption. He also noted that German regulations have blocked wider adoption of DC.

“Germany has a lot of regulations, and we are not allowed to feed DC power back into the AC grid,” he said. “We are working on this regulation with policymakers.”

Phoenix Contact also introduced its control cabinet production process, which it will highlight at this year’s Hannover Messe.

The company said it developed software that assists less‑skilled employees in assembling components for control cabinets more easily to prepare for skilled worker shortages. Using the company’s database, the software intuitively instructs workers on which accessories and markings are needed at each step of assembly, helping reduce production and search times and minimize errors.

While acknowledging the multiple challenges facing its business, Phoenix Contact pledged to continue its global expansion while pursuing stable growth. In addition to production facilities in China, India and Vietnam, the company has operated a Korean sales subsidiary for the past three decades.

“We have invested more in China because you have to keep investing or you’re out of that market,” Leidecker said.