Austrian agricultural company makes full use of the sun’s power with a battery system

16/09/2022 / Innviertel, Austria

Commercial photovoltaic system with Fronius GEN24 Plus and BYD Battery-Box Premium

Sauwald Erdäpfel GmbH is well-known in the region and beyond for the unique flavour of its potatoes. In 2010, a new product – the Sauwald vodka – was born from an idea to make the most out of these potatoes and create more value from this natural product. Martin Paminger, managing director, is not only an agricultural pioneer when it comes to his products, he is also a trailblazer in matters of sustainability. He was an early adopter of solar technology, operating two PV systems with a total power of 140 kWp for his company and farm. Installing a PV system on the roof of the warehouse provided the perfect solution for covering the company’s electricity needs and saving money on annual energy costs. To make even better use of the solar energy generated, a PV system with a commercial energy storage solution has now been added: the Fronius Symo GEN24 Plus and two BYD Battery-Box Premium HVM batteries.

More power to the region

Correct storage and optimum temperatures are crucial in preserving the flavour of the Sauwald potatoes. This is where an automatic cooling system comes into play. However, this also uses a lot of energy – with the associated high costs – as does the automatic feeding system. In agriculture, electricity is often needed in the morning and the evening when the sun is not shining. Thanks to the custom solution, the company can now cover all of its own energy needs during the summer months – achieving total independence without any additional costs. A dream come true for Martin Paminger.

» I was very keen to reduce the high energy costs and safeguard the future of my company. Sustainability and proximity definitely played a key role when it came to choosing a solution. «

explains Martin Paminger, farmer and managing director of Sauwald Erdäpfel GmbH

Battery system for agricultural company

Our Fronius GEN24 Plus is the answer. This hybrid inverter of “made in Austria” quality has been consistently designed and produced with sustainability in mind. In its life cycle analysis, it performs very well in all phases with sustained outputs and outstanding features. The Fronius GEN24 Plus is also quickly installed and delivers optimum yields even when the PV modules are in the shade. We are proud that Martin Paminger opted for our Fronius GEN24 Plus with battery system. The capacity of the storage solution totals 44.2 kWh and now supplies the company with sufficient electricity at night as well. To do so, two battery storage systems (BYD Battery-Box Premium HVM 22.1) were installed. The energy storage device was quickly and easily installed on the ground. Up to three battery storage systems of the same type and size can be connected in parallel, enabling a maximum battery capacity of 57.9 kWh*. In addition to the high battery capacity, the advantage of this combination is that no additional hardware such as a battery inverter is required for this solution, which both saves additional costs and is kind to the environment.

* Parallel operation depends on the availability in the country as well as the certification. It is not possible to combine 3x HVM 19.3. Please also observe the BYD specifications for parallel operation of the BYD Battery-Box Premium HVS/HVM.

Own energy needs fully covered during summer

The screenshot from our user-friendly monitoring tool Fronius Solar.web shows that the company can cover 100% of its energy needs. On average, the energy storage device starts in the morning with a residual capacity of 20% and is fully recharged throughout the day using the energy from the PV modules on the roof. At night, the battery system can cover all the demand and no energy is sourced from the grid. In the morning and evening, the energy is drawn from the battery (green) and during the day the generated solar energy is directly consumed by the respective loads (yellow) (see screenshot below).

Backup power for every situation

Should the company experience a power failure, Martin Paminger is well prepared with the storage solution and the Fronius GEN24 Plus hybrid inverter. Thanks to its Full Backup function, the Fronius GEN24 Plus can provide three-phase backup power, and with the strong battery input of 22 A, our hybrid inverter ensures high charging and discharging power. This means that, in the event of a power failure, even large loads, such as the automated feeding system, can be operated thanks to our backup power function, providing our customers with a reliable and independent energy supply.

Outstanding system efficiency

The high system efficiency of our Fronius GEN24 Plus product range combined with the high-voltage energy storage device from BYD has also been confirmed by the HTW Berlin - University of Applied Sciences. The HTW Berlin Energy Storage Inspection demonstrated that considerably more energy was made available to the loads compared to other systems. Fronius and BYD achieved 1st place in the 5 kWp category and 2nd place in the 10 kWp category with the storage solution. And the more efficient the storage solution, the more cost-effective it is: not only is Martin Paminger enjoying savings on his company’s monthly electricity bill, he has also become more independent, day and night, thanks to the retrofitted storage system. Our vision of 24 hours of sun has become a reality.

Technical data of the system with energy storage device

System power	49 kWp
Fronius components	Fronius Symo GEN24 10.0 Plus, Fronius Symo 10.0-3-M, Fronius Symo 20.0-3-M and Fronius Smart Meter
Battery storage system	2x BYD Battery-Box Premium HVM 22.1
Large loads	Automatic feeding system and ventilation
Annual yield	Approx. 45 MWh
Degree of self-sufficiency	Virtually 100% in the summer months
CO_{2 saving}	Approx. 25 tonnes

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