The solar farm at Medserv is taking shape with over 8,000 panels being laid on the roof which will generate megawatts of energy.
The €4 million project is expected to be completed by March. It was entrusted to Electrofix, one of several bidders who came forward for this significant project.
Electrofix came with an impressive portfolio, including PV panels for 13 Church schools.
“The project was very demanding because we had to do all the work in just 12 weeks – and we do not believe in subcontracting. I want our clients to know that when they order from us, they will get us...” she said.
The company also did the airport roof, the Joinwell building and the Seminary, to name but a few.
Prices have dropped by 60 per cent and have now levelled out and you can expect a panel to last some 25 years
The company was started 12 years ago by Debbie and XXX Schembri as Electrofix, providing domestic maintenance. It grew rapidly and around eight years ago, they took an interest in alternative energy as they felt it was a natural evolution that would dovetail well with the expertise they had by then built up.
They started to import photovoltaic equipment, solar water heaters and energy-saving devices, including industrial equipment such as heat pumps for hotels.
“We decided to go for brands which are really specialised – rather than household names which tend to offer a wide range of equipment – such as Conergy, the company providing the panels for Medserv, and Stiebel Eltron for heat pumps. The decision turned out to be the right one as it gave us a real quality shift while at the same time remaining very competitive,” she said.
“People no longer need to be convinced about the fact that solar energy is worth the investment. Thanks to technology, the equipment is much more efficient and reliable so the payback period is much shorter. Prices have dropped by 60 per cent and have now levelled out and you can expect a panel to last for some 25 years.
“So the investment makes sense even without government incentives, and the feed-in tariffs are a bonus.”
The market for solar-powered equipment was in turmoil earlier this year because China was trying to dump units on the EU market at very low prices. However, an agreement was finally reached with the EU which has created a level playing field.
Although demand is still growing, Ms Schembri does not believe that it is viable to produce PV panels in Malta.
“I have visited dozens of factories and believe me, the investment needed is huge. The panels need to be produced in very tightly controlled conditions, in an almost laboratory-level, hermetically-sealed environment. And of course, our labour costs cannot compare with those in China, in spite of the tariff agreement with the EU.”
So what does the future hold for Electrofix? Ms Schembri believes that the market in Malta will be saturated within two to three years and that the time has come to look overseas.
“We are already looking at a number of contracts and believe that it would be best to work with a reliable partner or as a joint venture, rather than biting off more than we can chew,” she said.