Erva Mate Gheno of Concórdia (SC) is the first mate tea manufacturer in Latin America to use photovoltaic solar energy in the production of tea and yerba mate. Unveiled in December 2017, the system was supplied by ENGIE and has 62 photovoltaic panels already installed and space for a further 22. Generation capacity is 16.43 kWp, enough to supply 100% of the company’s electricity requirements for driving the production line’s 36 motors as well as for lighting.

The structure which sustains the solar panels lies in an area protected by fences along the edge of the highway which gives access to the Fritz Plaumann State Park, an environmental preservation area which demarcates the Gheno family property in the Linha Sede Brum community in the interior of the municipality. “The solar panels are our visiting card. They were installed in front of the factory and are visible to all because we are very proud of this investment and very sure of its return” says the director, Gilnei Gheno. “We use clean energy, contributing to environmental preservation and we save energy. This is one more of our differentials”, he adds.

The pioneering spirit of the Santa Catarina mate tea company is specifically cited by the president of ENGIE Geração Solar Distribuída, Rodolfo de Sousa Pinto, “The agro-industry sector is an important partner for ENGIE and it always gives us great satisfaction to participate in innovative projects such as those at the installations of the Gheno family”, he said. “Solar energy is undoubtedly a readily available and viable resource for further boosting Brazilian agribusiness”, he concludes.

The photovoltaic system installed in Erva Mate Gheno is hooked up to the network of Celesc, the concessionaire in the state. Any surplus of energy which is generated is injected into the network and transformed into credits to be used by the company when generation declines such as during rainy periods or at night. For Erva Mate Gheno, the cost of the light bill will be reduced by 98% or R$ 2,500 monthly.

The amount saved will be used to pay the installments of the financing from the Banco do Brasil to cover installation costs, thus eliminating any impact on cash flow. The investment will have paid for itself in five and a half years and from then on the company will have energy which is practically free of charge given that the maintenance cost of the panels is low and restricted to cleaning and structural maintenance.

The Gheno family began activities in 2006 with a small production of yerba mate and still being processed by third party factories. In 2011, the company installed its own drying facilities. Currently, about 15% of the raw material used comes from the company’s own plantations, the remainder being acquired from properties surrounding the Park. Although the company has its own brand name in the market, Erva Mate Gheno, the larger amount of its production is supplied to Leão Alimentos de Bebidas which manufactures the teas under the Matte Leão brand name.

How the technology works
A photovoltaic solar energy system also known as a solar energy system or, again, a photovoltaic system, generates electrical energy from solar radiation. Normally installed on rooftops, the technology is the most popular one on the planet for distributed clean and renewable energy microgeneration. Homes and companies which have these systems produce their own energy which they consume, any surplus being injected into the electricity distribution network and transformed into credits with the Distributor. Such credits have a five year validity and are used when the unit is consuming more energy than is being generated, as is the case at nights or on rainy days.