- The Aquinos Group, a manufacturer of furniture and mattresses, is a leader in the sector in Portugal and has an international presence.
- These photovoltaic solar installations consist of a total of 7,296 panels with a total power of 3.3 MWp and an energy production of approximately 4.4 GWh/year.
- As a result of this important project, the Aquinos Group will avoid the emission of 1,133 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually, equivalent to planting 62,971 trees. This represents a saving of 54% on their yearly electricity bill.
- For Endesa X, together with other energy efficiency initiatives, solar energy is a viable means for companies to address the decarbonisation of the economy in Portugal.
Endesa X, Endesa's energy services subsidiary, started up six self-consumption photovoltaic solar plants for the Aquinos Group, an international industrial group manufacturing furniture and mattresses and a leader in the sector in Portugal. The installations will meet 37% of the group's energy requirements in six Production Units for Self-consumption (UPAC in Spanish) located in Tábua, Carregal do Sal and Nelas, in central Portugal in the districts of Coimbra and Viseu. Work on the installations began in December 2022 and was completed in five months, a record time given the scale of the work.
Endesa X specifically installed 7,296 photovoltaic solar panels, with a total capacity of 3.3 MWp, which will produce approximately 4.4 GWh/year, to respond to the energy requirements of the Aquinos Group.
The solar collection area of the high-performance solar panels occupies 16,272 m2, the equivalent of 3 football pitches or 39 basketball courts. The modality of the project is an operating lease through an investment vehicle that assumes the maintenance of the installation during the 15 years of the contract. The client outsources all the services and operations involved in the execution of the project through Endesa X as integral manager, matching the quotas with the savings invested during the contract. At the end of the contract, ownership is transferred to the client.
The energy produced with solar energy is equivalent to the annual consumption of 1,336 families or 25.9 million kilometres travelled by electric car.
This project will enable the Aquinos Group to avoid the emission of 1,133 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, equivalent to planting 62,971 trees or more than 10.5 million kilometres travelled by a car using fossil fuel.
The installation of solar panels also generates a direct saving of 54% in the group's annual electricity bill, which will be better protected against the volatility of energy prices.
Solar energy, together with other energy efficiency initiatives, is a key factor when addressing decarbonisation in the industrial sector and Endesa X aims to make this possible and adapt to the needs of our customers by implementing projects that take advantage of natural resources, such as this one for photovoltaic self-consumption.
To undertake this important project in Portugal, Endesa X made a commercial alliance with Río Energía and EnergyCon, an installation company specialising in energy services and decarbonisation.
For the General Manager of Endesa X, Davide Ciciliato, "this commitment to solar energy by the Aquinos Group will enable it to make a qualitative leap together with Endesa X and join the energy revolution in the industrial sector. Self-consumption will enable it to be more competitive and progress towards a more environmentally friendly model, to which this company is committed through its Corporate Social Responsibility Policy".
The General Manager of Endesa in Portugal, Guillermo Soler pointed out that "this important project represents a strengthening of Endesa's commitment to decarbonisation in Portugal, both with regard to generation and investment in its customers."
Energy supply, also with Endesa
In order to meet the rest of the energy it needs to undertake its activities, the Aquinos Group signed a five-year agreement with Endesa Energía, the Endesa group's retailer in Portugal.
About Endesa
Endesa is a leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end electricity generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X, it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. It is also the leading operator of charging stations in Spain through Endesa X Way, a business line dedicated entirely to electric mobility. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribución, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.
Endesa X is Endesa's business line dedicated to energy efficiency. Endesa X is a division of Enel X Global Retail and a leader in the development of innovative solutions in support of energy transition. It is aimed at consumers, companies and administrations, providing a modular and integrated offer based on their needs and promoting the electrification of energy uses and digitalisation as motors driving the creation of new value. Endesa X's ecosystem of solutions includes products and services for the optimisation and self-generation of electricity and premium energy efficiency solutions, with the aim of helping customers to create their energy roadmap. Globally, Enel X Global Retail manages demand response services, with 8.1 GW of total capacity. It has installed more than 3 million street lighting points worldwide and provides energy services to 67 million residential customers on a daily basis.