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.
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.”
