A restaurant spanning over 3 square meters, with parking for 100 vehicles and a high electricity consumption structure, found an opportunity to install solar power generation in Fortaleza (CE) due to its need to cover parking spaces.
During the development of the project, those in charge sought a solution to protect the vehicles from the intense sun of the capital of Ceará. At the same time, the cost of energy emerged as one of the main expenses of the operation.
The alternative, however, was to transform the parking area into a photovoltaic carport, making the roof structure also usable for electricity generation.
The project features 358 photovoltaic modules, distributed across 119 kits. SolarUnitDAH Solar's solution combines modules and microinverters sized to generate approximately 26 kWh per month.
However, the restaurant's demand exceeded initial expectations. The initial estimate was approximately 50 kWh per month, but consumption reached around 78 kWh per month, resulting in an energy bill ranging between R$70 and R$80.
Consumption is related, among other factors, to the establishment's structure itself, which has four large air conditioning units, as well as kitchen equipment, lighting, and other loads necessary for operation.
Since demand exceeds the carport's generation capacity, virtually all the electricity produced by the photovoltaic system is consumed instantly by the establishment.
For José Jereissati, who is responsible for the venture, controlling expenses is one of the main challenges in managing the business.
“I think that, in general, today in Brazil, in any segment, you have to keep a close eye on costs. It could be a restaurant, it could be a store, it could be anything, what matters is the cost. So, this constant struggle for the entrepreneur is cost,” he stated in an interview with [publication name]. Canal Solar.
With consumption exceeding the photovoltaic system's generation capacity, a possible expansion of the installation was also evaluated.
Carlos de Aquino Gomes, commercial manager of EBES Solar and coordinator of the project, explained that there was no more area available to expand the carport, and that the installation of new modules above the restaurant also encountered limitations due to the structural conditions of the roof.
Given this scenario, the establishment began the process of migrating to the Free Energy Market, seeking to combine its own generation with contracting energy in this environment as a strategy to manage electricity expenses.
The characteristics of the parking lot also influenced the system configuration. One of the points considered was the occurrence of shading in different areas of the facility throughout the day.
The configuration used features microinverters that support groups of two or three modules, allowing for greater modularity in the face of different shading conditions and segmented monitoring of the installation's performance.
Another factor considered was the presence of dirt on the equipment. The modules used have fullscreen technology, a feature that facilitates water drainage and reduces points where residue accumulates.
"Rainwater itself helps to wash the panels, preventing the infamous hotspots, or hot spots, that can create cracks in the panels and reduce productivity," explained Gomes.
Ease of maintenance was also considered when choosing the modules, especially since it is an installation above a parking lot and due to the environmental conditions found at the site.
“When it comes to dirt, the best solution is the full screen, which is included in this kit. Since it has no frame, cleaning is much simpler, an essential point when considering a carport in Fortaleza, as is the case here,” said Thais Bittencourt, Marketing Manager LATAM at DAH Solar Brasil.
“This also makes module maintenance easier. And there’s another important point: the SolarUnit comes as a complete kit, with a high-power full-screen module — capable of generating up to 15% more energy, a figure tested and certified — and a dedicated microinverter, also developed by DAH specifically for these modules. This factory integration is what guarantees optimal performance in projects like this carport,” he assessed.
Want to know how this solution works in practice? Watch the full video on YouTube. Canal Solar.
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