MaGeno-Solar eG, a cooperative organized by active and retired KHS personnel, has received the GenoAward in the Best Newcomer category from Genoverband e.V. and the F.A.Z. Institute. The recognition honors the group’s contribution to society and sustainability through employee-led deployment of rooftop photovoltaic systems at KHS sites. Two systems are already in operation at KHS facilities, and a third is scheduled for 2025. Under the MaGeno-Solar framework, members invest in photovoltaic arrays mounted on the roofs of KHS production shops, which KHS leases for a fixed annual fee and then uses the green electricity generated. This enables the Dortmund systems supplier to procure renewable power below the usual market price while cutting operational carbon emissions, directly supporting the company’s target of becoming climate-neutral by 2050. For the cooperative, the regular lease payments refinance the installations and allow profits to be distributed to members as dividends. The approach prioritizes rooftop installations that require no additional land use, with most of the electricity consumed directly in the buildings, easing local and cross-regional grids. MaGeno-Solar eG currently counts around 200 members, and cooperative investments totaling €700,000 have financed two commissioned systems at the KHS factories in Dortmund and Bad Kreuznach, with a third planned to be connected to the network in Worms by the end of 2025.
Award context and jury remarks
MaGeno-Solar eG is one of five cooperatives to receive a GenoAward, selected from 80 competitors from across Germany by a jury of seven experts. The award recognizes cooperatives that address social and economic challenges and contribute to Germany’s future viability. Marco Schulz, deputy chairman of Genoverband e.V., praised the initiative: "MaGeno-Solar shows just how much strength a workforce can develop when you place your trust in them. Here, they’ve created a win/win/win situation – for the company, its staff and the protection of the climate – and clearly demonstrated how responsibility can be actively assumed." The winners, with the GenoAward presented for the first time this year, each received a certificate and €2,500 in prize money.
Employee perspective
Bernd Molitor, chairman of MaGeno-Solar eG, underlined the cooperative’s aims and the practical benefits of rooftop systems. "We want to do something for the protection of the climate ourselves and help our employer to overcome various bureaucratic hurdles," he said. "We’re making a particularly large contribution, as photovoltaic panels on rooftops don’t take up any new space. The load is also taken off local and cross-regional electricity grids, as most of the electricity generated is used directly in the building." Molitor traveled to Frankfurt to accept the prize on behalf of the cooperative.
Bernd Molitor, chairman of MaGeno-Solar eG, is delighted that the KHS employees’ cooperative has received the GenoAward in the Best Newcomer category.
