A Unimog U 530 with frontloader and loading crane.

When Bernd Jastremski turns the corner in his Unimog, it can be a pretty breath-taking sight: anthracite paint finish, sun visor, work lamps, Hauer frontloader with pallet fork, Palfinger crane (27 metre-tonnes with additional arm), Palfinger cable winch (64 metres) and a steered rear axle.

Unimog with a rarity.

This U 530, supplied by Unimog general distributor Peter Meineke from Bad Fallingbostel-Dorfmark, has rarity value. What may initially look like a futuristic machine from a Mad Max film is in fact an indispensable work tool for Energie-Spar-Centrum Altenwahlingen.

Here in Heidekreis, near Walsrode in northern Germany, Bernd Jastremski and his Unimog are familiar faces. Assignments in Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover are also a common occurrence. "Our company specialises in photovoltaic systems," says the manager. Together with his team of four employees, he installs on average the equivalent of one megawatt of photovoltaic (PV) power each year. "And thanks to the Unimog, we're completely self-sufficient."

The turning circle is extraordinarily small. And that's a major advantage for us.

Bernd Jastremski, Manager, Energie-Spar-Centrum Altenwahlingen

Experience more Unimog in action:

Relevant videos:

Power for the Rhön area.
Unimog in the Hambach opencast mine.

Flexibility even in narrow streets.

The company's U 530 incidentally also features an uprating for a gross weight of 16 tonnes and is used to tow an 18-tonne fully-enclosed swap body. The solar modules are stored in it on pallets. "The Unimog is so important for us because it allows us to work very flexibly, especially in residential areas. And if the road conditions don't permit us to do otherwise, we can unload the trailer at a location further along using the front loader and then drive the pallet over to the work site before using the crane to hoist the modules up onto the roof," explains Jastremski. "No other comparable vehicle offers a steered rear axle. With it, the turning circle is extraordinarily small. And that's a major advantage for us."

Thumbs up: With his loading crane, Bernd Jastremski can reach any roof-top building site.

Energy efficiency meets Unimog efficiency.

The almost-black Unimog is already his third. He greatly appreciates the benefits which this workhorse offers: "What's also important for us is a gearbox with a low transmission ratio. Plus, with the Unimog we can get to any site, regardless of where it may be." Energie-Spar-Centrum doesn't just serve customers in detached houses in residential areas. The team from Altenwahlingen is increasingly being tasked with installing systems on remote agricultural land. They also equip industrial halls with PV systems, often at a height of 13 metres. "Today, the energy generated by sunlight is mostly used for personal consumption," says Jastremski the energy-saving expert. The company also supplies the required solar accumulators.

And if the Unimog doesn't have any modules which need moving by the forklift or the crane, Jastremski simply lends it to a friend's carpentry company. There it is used as a tractor for heavy square timbers and beams. So not just energy efficiency, but also real Unimog efficiency.

Project implemented with Unimog partnership:
Peter Meineke GmbH & Co. KG