The largest solar power plant is currently being built in the center of Prague
A solar power plant the size of a football field is growing in the center of Prague. 2,080 panels will cover 10% of the consumption of the Prague Congress Center and save 5.5 million crowns per year.
In the Prague Congress Center (KCP) construction of the largest photovoltaic power plant in the center of Prague began. In total, on an area of 7,000 m2 will grow 2080 solar panels which will save the Prague Congress Center 5.5 million CZK per year on electricity. Photovoltaics will complement one of the largest savings projects in the Czech Republic, which is implemented in KCP by ENESA, a subsidiary of ČEZ ESCO. The project saved the center 32 million crowns this year.
The construction of the photovoltaic power plant, in which ČEZ ESCO and GreenBuddies are participating, was started during the Czech Presidency of the European Union, in which KCP plays an important role, as it is the venue for informal meetings of the Council of the EU.
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“We were thinking about a photovoltaic power plant on the roof of the KCP several years ago. Even though we have agreed a very good price by the end of the year, the events on the energy market forced us to speed up this plan and we decided to start during the Czech presidency. Photovoltaics will cover about ten percent of KCP’s energy consumption, in addition, it is directly linked to a comprehensive energy savings project, which has been running for the sixth year and costs us more than 30 million crowns annually.” explains Aleš Bartůněk, chairman of the KCP board of directors.
Photovoltaics for 1 CZK
KCP CEZ ESCO’s innovative model called “Photovoltaics for 1 CZK”. The power plant with an installed capacity of 936 kWp will thus be acquired by KCP without the relevant investment costs. The costs of the project are borne by the supplier ČEZ ESCO, which will build the photovoltaic system for the customer and then operate it. KCP will pay back the investment in the price of the purchased electricity. After the end of the 13-year contract, the Praha Convention Center will buy back FVE for just one crown and will continue to produce its own energy.
A photovoltaic building in the center of Prague, with dimensions larger than a football field, is not a simple power plant. The designers, for example, had to prove by tests on a sample of panels placed on the roof that the rays falling on their surface will not dazzle not only the surroundings, but also, for example, visits to several nearby kilometers of the Petřín lookout tower. Despite these obstacles, the pace of installation is fast – just over half a year will be at the time of sharing the start of design preparations and the placement of the last panel.
EPC project in the Prague Congress Center
KCP has been trying to reduce the energy building since 2016, when the technologically unique energy-saving project solved by EPC, which is implemented for KCP by the company ENESA from the ČEZ ESCO group, led the demandingness. EPC means that the supplier directly guarantees the amount of savings in the contract.
Thanks to the modernization of heating, air-conditioning, lighting and cogeneration for 135 million CZK, this year alone it was possible to reduce energy costs by 50 million CZK, calculated at current high prices. Total guaranteed savings over the 10-year duration of the project is 235 million crowns and a reduction of 30%.
“The EPC project in the Prague Congress Center holds primacy in the area of technological interdependence, where the synergy between heating and air conditioning is used to the maximum extent possible. Thanks to a well-thought-out technical solution, it is 100% true here that the cheapest energy is the one that is not consumed. Photovoltaics on the roof of the building will make it even cheaper, and on top of that, the carbon footprint of the building.” explains Kamil Čermák, CEO of ČEZ ESCO.
“In this one of the largest roof installations in the Czech Republic, our rich experience from similar roof projects and land-based power plants here and abroad applies. We use SolarEdge inverters, which minimize the voltage during a fault, and in accordance with modern trends, we also use a roof structure that is not fixed by drilling into the roof, but only by load,” Aleš Spáčil, business director of the company Greenbuddies, which takes care of the installation of photovoltaics. The start-up of the power plant is planned for next year.
source: press release