LARGE ROOFTOP SOLAR CELL PLANT IN VÄRNAMO REDUCES CLIMATE FOOTPRINT

Since Mid-December 2020, a solar cell plant that covers 5,000 square meters of the rooftop of Lesjöfors Banddetaljer´s production facility in Värnamo is in operation. The solar cells are estimated to produce about 25 per cent of the plant’s annual electricity need.

About a year ago, the stampings and bending parts specialist Lesjöfors Banddetaljer took the first steps in the transition to use fossil-free energy sources. Not only does the plant reduce energy cost, the big gain is the reduced environmental impact. The solar cell plant is an important measure in line with the Beijer Alma group’s sustainability strategy.

“We see that more and more industrial companies strive to lower their energy consumption and transfer to fossil-free electricity production. Not many have installed a solar cell plant of our size though in our region, so we are happy for this opportunity,” says Marcus Hartvigsson, MD of Lesjöfors Banddetaljer.

ENERGY ANALYSIS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS

The process started with an energy analysis, which resulted in a list of possible improvements that the Värnamo site could make to increase energy efficiency, reduce energy cost and consequently reduce environmental impact. The market leading solar power company Swede Energy investigated the conditions and found out that Lesjöfors Banddetaljer had optimal settings for a solar cell plant on the 7 000 square meter rooftop. The process from the energy analysis to an up and running plant was about a year and from Mid-December 2020, the plant is operating as planned.

A PROFITABLE INVESTMENT

The total cost of the whole process was about MSEK 3 (EUR 300 000) and the payoff time is estimated to ten years. It is also important to mention the environmental payoff time, which is only 2.5 years. Lesjöfors Banddetaljer has applied for government grants, which will cover 20 per cent of the installation cost. The plant is estimated to produce about 350 MWh annually, which is about 25 per cent of the total energy consumption. The lifespan of the solar cells is 25 years, which means the plant is a profitable investment as well as an important sustainability measure.

“I know that several companies are following our progress with great interest and hope that many will follow our example”, says Marcus Hartvigsson.     

Lesjöfors AB