The Lácteos la Esmeralda’s plant, based in Madrid, Cundinamarca in Colombia, had an average energy consumption ranging from 220–260 thousand kW hour per month, which represented a major expense for the factory.

The dairy collaborated with ESSI – COPOWER to install the 669kWp, 1440 panel, ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system in December to reduce fixed energy costs, as well as enable Lácteos la Esmeralda to increase its self-consumption capabilities.

Five of FIMER’s PVS-120-TL inverters were provided for the project, which are specifically designed for decentralized floor-mounted applications.

The PVS-120-TL inverters integrated with FIMER’s Aurora Vision system and Energy Viewer to enable the plant to monitor the consumption and generation of the panels, which was a vital requirement for Lácteos la Esmeralda.

Since its installation in December 2020, the diary producer has reduced its energy consumption by approximately 90 thousand kW hours per month, significantly reducing its electricity bill.

Colombia is increasing its renewable energy targets, with president Iván Duque Márquez announcing a goal of 14 per cent renewables by the end of his current term in 2022.

Cesar Alor, Country Manager at FIMER, comments: “It was a privilege to be involved in such a prestigious project, particularly during a time of an increased focus on installing more renewable capacity in Colombia. That said, the project was not without its challenges. For example, due to the terrain having a high groundwater level, the thrust profiles had to be adapted to a micropile system.”