Enlarge: A 1 MWp rooftop solar system was installed at JiaHsin Long An factory, using SMA solar inverter from Germany.

Vietnam is one of the largest manufacturing and exporting hubs of garment and textile in the world. Many brands place their production base in Vietnam thanks to skilled labor force, low labor cost and high productivity as well as various local and international incentives for importing of materials and exporting to target markets. Factories in this sector normally have large buildings and roof space, operate with stable consumption pattern: 6 days per week, 2 or 3 shifts per day, main consumption in daytime. These characteristics provide optimal conditions for rooftop solar application, helping the manufacturers to reduce energy costs and carbon footprint, which is part of the sustainability goals set-forth by global fashion brands in recent years.

JiaHsin Long An is a Taiwanese company, focusing on producing sandals for international brands such as Adidas, Nike, PUMA, Vanity Fair Corporation. The factory in Long An province has large production buildings with electricity consumption increasing significantly every year. The factory commits to convert part of their energy supply to renewable energy to fulfil the requirements of the brands, save electricity cost and reduce carbon footprint.

A 1 MWp rooftop solar system was installed at JiaHsin Long An factory, using SMA solar inverter from Germany. The estimated annual energy yield from this system is 1,423 MWh, equivalent to a reduction of 1,299 tons of CO2 per year. Leasing business model was applied in this project, with 20% project investment volume contributed by the factory and 80% by the solar company. The leasing contract duration is 8 years and the system ownership will be transferred to the factory after the contract ends. JiaHsin Long An is currently preparing for the second phase of the project, in which an additional solar system of 2.8 MWp will be installed in the remaining buildings.

German Contribution

German inverter SMA was selected to be the inverter supplier of this project to ensure high performance and reliable operation of the solar system.

Support of the German Energy Solutions Initiative

The Project Development Programme (PDP) of the German Energy Solutions Initiative supported JiaHsin Long An with various awareness raising activities and project development, including knowledge on rooftop solar technology, advice on local regulations, pre-feasibility analysis of rooftop solar project, sharing contacts of German companies and advice on contract negotiation. JiaHsin Long An subsequently was convinced to use German equipment thanks to proven quality in the global market.

System Data