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Rooftop solar cuts 30 to 50 tonnes of CO₂ a month
A 500 kW photovoltaic array of 2,054 panels, covering 4,163 m² of factory roof and running alongside the municipal supply.
Lorbrand began investigating on-site generation in 2010. A plant expansion was adding production capacity just as national supply tightened and tariffs climbed, and over an acre of factory roof was standing empty.
The array
The installation uses Tier 1 polycrystalline panels from Yingli and Winaico, with grid-tied inverters from SMA and KACO.
- 2,054 photovoltaic panels
- 4,163 m² total collection area
- 500 kW design power
- 30 to 50 tonnes of CO₂ saved in an average month
Running alongside the grid
Feedback into the municipal grid is throttled under current legislation, so the plant does not yet reach its full CO₂ saving. We expect that restriction to ease.
The nearer-term gain sits in pairing the array with the standby generators. Running the two together costs less than drawing from the municipal grid, particularly through peak production in the winter months.
Generating from a renewable source also earns company tax relief. The lower operational overhead reaches customers in the price of components.