Installed in 2020 at its headquarters in Warsaw, the photovoltaic system should pay for itself in just six years, two years faster than initially planned. The system has been so successful in reducing its energy costs that Agora installed two additional solutions at its print site in March 2022.
As energy prices in Poland have skyrocketed in recent years, costs have risen dramatically for companies powering medium to large commercial buildings like Agora. The company wanted to solve this problem while reducing its carbon footprint. Solar energy was therefore seen as the natural choice. Delivered by its installation of a solar system managed by SolarEdge inverters, the Agora PV solution was chosen for its performance advantages and market-leading safety features, including SolarEdge’s SafeDC and rapid shutdown features. It was also chosen for its ability to maximize power from a limited, partially shaded roof space.
“In 2001, we received an architectural award for our headquarters in Warsaw,” said Marcin Tkaczyk, administrative director of Agora. “To further improve its sustainability credentials, we wanted to install a solar system. But, with so many people in the building, not only did we need to make a good choice in terms of return on investment, but we also needed an advanced security solution. After doing some background research, we agreed with our installer, Bison Energy, on the system that would best meet our needs. We were so pleased with the SolarEdge system and the savings it gave us on energy costs that we had two additional installations done.
With employee safety also a priority for Agora, SolarEdge’s SafeDC feature, which reduces the output voltage to 1V without contact during maintenance, was of particular interest. The rapid system shutdown function, which in the event of a fire shuts down the system within 30 seconds, was also essential for Agora. Additionally, the company’s advanced arc fault detection system was key to its choice of SolarEdge. Taking just seven days to install, Agora now produces an average of 87 MWh, while reducing its carbon footprint by approximately 86,000 kg of CO2 per year.
Agora’s photovoltaic system installed on the roof of the company’s headquarters consists of a SolarEdge 50k inverter, two SolarEdge 17k inverters, 272 modules and 136 SolarEdge P730 power optimizers to manage and optimize the production of electricity. Unlike the traditional string inverter, where modules match their efficiency level to the weakest module in the string, SolarEdge’s inverter allows each module to operate at its maximum power. In the case of Agora, where rooftop space was limited and partially shaded due to other rooftop infrastructure, SolarEdge’s inverter is a necessity to maximize power generation.
“We value SolarEdge systems so highly that we imported them from Germany before they were available in Poland,” said Michał Szewczyk, president of Bison Energy. “For Agora, it was an easy recommendation to make. To meet their power and security requirements, as well as to ensure a quick return on investment, SolarEdge was the obvious choice.
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