Marsa firm gets all its energy from the sun
Solar Systems Ltd, a company that produces tanks for solar water heaters had stolen a march on its competitors by relying solely on solar energy for its electricity.
The Marsa company, which forms part of the Bajada Group, has installed rows of photovoltaic units on the roof, producing some 82 units of electricity. As a result, it does not have any electricity bill to pay.
The photovoltaic units were installed with financial assistance from Malta Enterprise and the European Fund for Regional Development. The project cost €80,000.
Managing director Mark Bajada said the project was giving his company a competitive advantage over its rivals. It will also save it a bill of €7,000 per year and a reduced tax bill.
Bajada group imports solar heating panels and then exports solar heaters to Italy, Spain, France, and France.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi congratulated the company during a visit this morning and said its project fitted in the government's plans to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, for environmental reasons and also because of the high oil price.
The government, through its agencies, had last year given total assistance of €8.5m to some 150 companies in order to help them convert to energy saving or alternative energy equipment, he said.
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Lawrence Muscat
Mar 12th 2010, 19:25
Well done Solar Solars Systems. Li niskanta hu kemm hawn engineers jikkumentaw dwar x'ghandu issir ghal power station extention.
Edward Mallia
Mar 12th 2010, 18:51
re Minister Fenech's remark, the foolishness of this government really knows no bounds. If instead of one large turbine one installs a set (8) of medium speed piston engines, then a drop in demand would be met by switching off one or two engines, while keeping the others working at maximum efficiency. A good engineering advantage in our case;yet government and Enemalta are not using this fact in their defence of the Delimara extension. They can even meet most of the public fears and objections by dropping use of Heavy Fuel Oil for the engines and use diesel, with some increase in unit cost possibly. Incidentally, the Delimara extension may well be required to deal with unusual fluctuations if wind farms start to contribute significantly to the grid. That makes the piston engine set solution even better.
John Zammit
Mar 12th 2010, 17:49
all other firms should learn from this company, and the government must subsidize more these products!
Joe E Galea
Mar 12th 2010, 16:14
Why the government doesn't follow this company's example and installs same equipment on its departments and especially the hospital? Also, why not incentive other companies to do the same? If more entities are off the grid, then a turbine could be switched off and then our exhorbitant w/e bills should diminsh. I would rather see such a project than the useless mostrosity of Renzo Piano.
J.Kawash
Mar 12th 2010, 18:40
@ Joe E Galea,You hit the nail on the head about the monstrosity by Renzo Piano & Co,they should leave Valletta alone,i`d rather see the shabby but practical Valletta entrance and Shop than an eyesore like a door less city and a roofless theatre.
Tony Mangion
Mar 12th 2010, 16:12
It is very encouraging seeing more factories and other big establishments changing to photovoltaic, but can any authority explain to us what the Minister of finance had said on the radio, as pointed out earlier by Mr Richard Mifsud, on these same bloggs?
edward bartolo
Mar 12th 2010, 15:52
Getting the energy from the sun is still very costly. It is like someone boasting of purchasing a computer with a RAM of 1 Giga Byte in 1990! Was it worth the expense back then?
Stephen Fenech
Mar 12th 2010, 18:27
I am writing on behalf of Bajada Grop as the GM of the company. In the past few years the cost of pv have dropped significantly. With the help of Gov Grants a family can have system that generates 6.5 units per day with Euro 3,000.
Rebecca Mercieca
Mar 12th 2010, 15:19
Richard,
l-argument ta Tonio Fenech smajtu jien ukoll- imma int hadtu barra mill -kuntest
fejn kien qed jitkellem fuq il bzonn tal-interconnector mal-grid Ewropew tal-energija. Hemm ikun possibbli li forsi ma jintuzawx it-turbini kollha, mhux ghax ftit kumpaniji juzaw il-PVS..
E Gatt
Mar 12th 2010, 14:22
Another plus point in favour of having realistic electricity rates.
Well done Solar Systems Ltd.
carmel callus
Mar 12th 2010, 14:04
That is what Malta Enterprise and industrialists should do on all the factories in the various industrial zones. The same example should also be followed by restaurants. That should be the way forward! Electricity bills would then becaome a thing of the past for them.
Richard Sammut
Mar 12th 2010, 14:37
Whilst congratulating this firm for it's achievement., one point has to be made -
that as things stand in our power stations, the less these companies pay in electricity bills, the more is split between the remaining population and therefore the higher electricity bills.
Last time Finance Minister Tonio Fenech was explaining on a radio station that even though less electricity is being consumed, it is not enough to switch off a turbine, therefore the same amount of fuel is till used.
This would mean that the same cost of fuel is split between less people- thereby a higher electricity bill.
David Buttigieg
Mar 12th 2010, 14:59
Richard Sammut,
So what are you saying, firms should consume more to reduce the bill for other people?