Solar energy is a reality at BICAFÉ thanks to INEGI's support
31 May 2023BICAFÉ, a Portuguese coffee roasting company, already uses solar photovoltaic energy at its facilities in São Pedro da Cova. A commitment to the energy transition that was made possible thanks to INEGI, which supported the market consultation process for the installation of a photovoltaic plant with 290 kW of generating capacity for self-consumption.
This opportunity was identified in an energy diagnosis at BICAFÉ's industrial facilities conducted, in 2018, also by INEGI. The team concluded that an energy self-consumption regime allows the local use of renewable energy sources, with emphasis on photovoltaic, given the conditions of solar resources on site and the ease of installation of equipment on the roof.
São Pedro da Cova
The solution, part of BICAFÉ's sustainability strategy, became a reality in 2019 and the results are already visible. António Gandra, owner and administrator of BICAFÉ, says that "we have significantly lowered the costs of electricity associated with the operation, installed more production lines and 4 charging stations for our distribution fleet”.
António Gandra points out that "INEGI's participation was decisive in decision-making and allowed us to deal with our doubts, both in the project design and in the selection of suppliers, to reduce the risk associated with the investment, and to be more certain in the choice of technological solutions".
Solar energy has advantages for companies in various sectors
As Miguel Marques, responsible for the photovoltaic solar energy activity at INEGI, explains, "the self-consumption regime is stabilized in Portugal and is quite comprehensive in terms of technical solutions. This means that it can be a good solution for companies in order to reduce the their consumption of electricity from external suppliers".
Among the benefits is the use of renewable energy sources, competitiveness and predictability in an industrial context of costs with photovoltaic solar energy and the environmental value that the use of renewable energy sources brings to companies' products and services.
However, Miguel Marques also points out "that not all companies have the specific knowledge to analyze the installation, operation and maintenance proposals they receive, including the associated guarantees, to maximize the return on investment and minimize their risk".
For this reason, INEGI's team of experts helps companies assess locations for installing photovoltaic plants, the impact of the installation's self-consumption of energy, assists in market consultation, for example in a "turn-key" process, and accompanies the installation to verify that the expected results have been achieved.
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