Following months of preliminary research, Indústria de Rações Geraleite of São Gotardo, in the Alto Paranaíba region, state of Minas Gerais, is unveiling its own photovoltaic plant, project and installation the responsibility of ENGIE. The plant consists of 794 modules of 275Wp installed over an area of 1,428 square meters and a generation capacity of 218  kWp. The estimated period for return on investment is 3.7 years and the expected annual saving on the electricity bill for the company is R$ 135 thousand, totaling more than R$ 3.3 million over the life of the system.

“We researched different options of system and received more than a dozen proposals from suppliers before deciding on ENGIE, thanks not only to the conditions offered but also because we have first-hand experience as to the efficiency of a system installed by the company at the Max Min Clube in Montes Claros, in the north of the state. “And as they say, mineiros (the state’s inhabitants) need to see to believe, OK”, says administrator, Frederico Prados Lima. “Proprietary production of photovoltaic energy for the industry will be limited to 65%, since we already have another source of supply under a contracted demand agreement, so for the time being we have chosen to maintain the percentage at this level”, he explains.

Solar energy on the farms as well

The advantages of photovoltaic energy have caught the imagination of the entire family of the animal feed plant owner, Osanan Pereira Caixeta. Osanan himself is also adopting solar energy at all his milk production farms. At Osanan’s Rio Parnaíba farm, the photovoltaic plant is already operating with an even higher generation capacity than the industry: 267.3 kWp, installed on the roof of a barn over an area of 1772 square meters. The estimate for the farm is that the proprietary production of energy reduces costs by 85% and saves more than R$ 300 thousand annually.

Meanwhile, in addition to Osanan, two other brothers and a cousin also have two photovoltaic plants on order from ENGIE. Together, already in the first year savings will be around R$ 300 thousand for the family farms. “Recent innovation in dairy herd management with the adoption of the confinement system in which the dairy cows are housed in sheds, means that milk production now requires much more electricity to run the ventilation equipment”, Lima explains. “As a result, photovoltaic solar energy comes as an excellent alternative for rural producers: once the investment is paid off, the producer can enjoy an energy source at a very low maintenance cost”, he concludes.

“Indeed, the high levels of solar radiation in the region make the investments especially attractive for rural producers, having an average payback of about three years”, explains Rodrigo Kimura, the director for the solar area at ENGIE,  the largest private sector electric energy generator in the country and responsible for installing the mini and micro photovoltaic plants in the region. “In addition, producers have space available in their own barn infrastructures, facilitating installation and reducing still further cost overheads”, he exemplifies.

ENGIE is a leader in the distributed solar generation market chalking up some 1,900 systems already installed. The company operates aggressively in the segment of residential photovoltaic systems, but also having important projects for agribusiness as well as the industrial sector through the Solar Industry Program which is being implemented by ENGIE and the federations of industry for the states of Santa Catarina (FIESC), Mato Grosso (FIEMT) and Rio Grande do Sul (FIERGS).