Founded in Mönchengladbach, Germany in 1872, Scheidt & Bachmann is a software and mechanical engineering company with over 150 years of history. In Slovakia, it has been operating since 1995. The company has software branches in Žilina, Bratislava, Košice and it has recently opened a new production hall in Bytča. The company’s focuse is on developing software and producing devices and systems for various business areas, including parking solutions, fare collection systems and signalling technology. It employs over 700 people in Slovakia.When searching for a practical project, the Energy Scouts Ing. Daniel Cvacho and Ing. Vladimír Ciesarík realized that the production facility in Bytča was fully depending on the electricity supply from the distribution system. The yearly consumption was roughly 440 MWh, primarily due to lighting, production machinery, water heating and air conditioning.
As the two Energy Scouts identified a factory roof fully exposed to sunlight and with a sturdy design, the solution became obvious: A photovoltaic power source with a total of 384 panels and a capacity of 157 kWp would meet all requirements. An additional 10 kWh battery makes the solar power available and directly usable during the night. The main benefits of the photovoltaic system are the reduction of energy costs as well as an increased stability and security of energy by diversification. This solution not only aids in reducing CO2 emissions, which is crucial for tackling climate change, but also enhances competitiveness in a global mission of energy transition.
The technical solution encompasses additional steps that have already been implemented:
- Aluminium construction for mounting the panels.
- Stone blocks for loading construction.
- East-west orientation under a 10° angle to produce constant power during the whole day.
- Eight rows above the roof construction to ensure stable loading of the roof.
- A newly constructed distribution room with batteries, converters and a switchboard.
The photovoltaic system today covers 33 % of the company’s whole consumption and saves 37,000 € on electricity costs per year, therefore paying off the investment after only four years – thanks to a subsidy by the European Union.
Photovoltaics
- Industry sector: machine engineering
- Energy source: electricity
- Energy savings potential: 150 MWh/year
- CO2 savings potential: 24.16 tons/year
- Potential cost reduction: 37,000 €/year
- Investment costs: 150,000 €
- Payback period: 4 years
- Company:
Scheidt & Bachmann Slovensko s.r.o.
Priemyselná 14
010 01 Žilina
Slovakia
https://www.scheidt-bachmann.sk/en/
Energy output during a typical year. Green = solar energy, Red = total consumption. In the summer, the factory can run on nearly 50 % solar power (© Scheidt & Bachmann Slovensko s.r.o.).
During the year of 2024 and so far (October 2024), 33 % of the companies consumed electricity came from the photovoltaic system and the leftover 67 % from the grid. During the time the collected electricity is not needed, the battery either gets charged or the power is fed to the grid (© Scheidt & Bachmann Slovensko s.r.o.).
