EDP builds solar power plant for Smart Fit
Generation forecast is 1,699 MWh per year. Project will avoid the emission of 127 tons of CO2 per year
EDP, a company that operates in all segments of the electricity sector, through EDP Smart, a division that brings together the Company's portfolio of energy solutions, completed the construction of a solar plant for Smart Fit, the largest gym network in America Latina, in Minas Gerais, in the municipality of Sacramento (MG). The facility will generate 1,699 MWh per year, energy capable of serving around 707 homes annually. The solar energy produced will supply seven Smart Fit units. The investment was R$2.2 million.
Thanks to the project, these Smart Fit units will be supplied with 100% solar energy, which will avoid the emission of 127 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the planting of 705 trees. In addition to the environmental benefit, the gyms will save 24.3% on their energy bill, excluding taxes. EDP will be responsible for the operation of the project. The contractual term is 10 years.
“The solar energy market has been advancing rapidly in the country and will follow this trend in the coming years. Companies like Smart Fit are aware of this fact, seeking not only greater predictability and savings in their electricity costs, but also benefits to the environment. We believe in this business model, which will continue to receive our attention”, says André Pereira, director of EDP Smart.
Focus on energy solutions
EDP has a unit dedicated to the implementation of solar self-production and distributed generation ventures, being responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the systems. Since 2017, it has traded 58.9 MWp in solar energy projects – 28.1 MWp already installed and 30.8 MWp under development.
This year, EDP delivered to Johnson & Johnson, the world's largest healthcare company, its first solar plant in South America. Located in an area equivalent to a soccer field in the city of São José dos Campos, in the largest manufacturing plant in the company's area, the system will generate 2 million kWh/year, with a positive impact on the electrical system and the environment.
Another highlight of the company in 2020 was the delivery of a solar power plant in the form of distributed generation to Banco do Brasil (BB). The project, located in the municipality of Porteirinha, in the north of Minas Gerais, has an installed capacity of 6.5 megawatts-peak (MWp) and will guarantee the supply of renewable energy to 100 branches of the Bank in the state of Minas Gerais, allowing the institution to save R $80 million over 12 years. The 19,000 installed solar panels have a generation capacity of 14,000 MWh per year, enough to supply 5,833 homes with an average consumption of 2,400 kWh/year. The project will enable a 58% reduction in the energy bill of the Bank's branches in Minas Gerais.
Solar energy in Minas Gerais
According to the Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (Absolar), in 2020 Brazil surpassed the mark of 7 gigawatts (GW) of installed power in the photovoltaic solar source, with almost 3 GW in centralized generation and just over 4 GW in generation distributed. Since 2012, more than R$ 35.4 billion have been invested in the sector, which has generated 210,000 new jobs and collected R$ 10.4 billion in taxes. The use of the energy source avoided the emission of more than 1.1 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Minas Gerais is the state that produces the most electricity through micro and mini-generation photovoltaic plants. In centralized generation, 529.1 megawatts (MW) are already in operation and more than 5.2 GW contracted, while in distributed generation, the state has 790.7 MW installed.
About EDP in Brazil
With over 20 years of experience, EDP is one of the largest private companies in the electricity sector operating throughout the value chain. The Company, which has more than 10,000 direct and outsourced employees, has six hydroelectric and one thermoelectric generation units, in addition to operating in Transmission, Commercialization and Energy Services. In Distribution, it serves about 3.5 million customers in São Paulo and Espírito Santo, in addition to being the main shareholder of Celesc, in Santa Catarina. In 2020, it was elected the most innovative company in the electricity sector by the Valor Inovação ranking, of the Valor Econômico newspaper, and is a reference in Governance and Sustainability, having been on the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) for 15 consecutive years.