Location: Haturlim, Bicholim 

Size: 61 kWp solar power system

Components: 445 Wp solar panels, 60 KW Inverter, Full Rail Aluminium Structure

Completion date: October 2021 

Cashews are a heart-healthy snack loved by everyone across the globe. Introduced by the Portuguese over 450 years ago, the popularity of the cashew crop grew exponentially on the west coast of India. By the early 20th century, local businesses became very interested in cashew processing & distribution. One such pioneering business group was the first in Goa to ground-roast and sell cashew nuts in the markets of Mumbai and Karachi. Over the years, it achieved many enviable milestones in the domestic and international markets. 

They export around 70,000 cases of cashew every year. For cashew processing, this factory runs heavy equipment that guzzles more than 300 units per day. With the target of reducing their humongous electricity bills, the group collaborated with Sun360 to install a 61.5 KWp solar power plant in their Bicholim unit to offset 100% of their daily electricity consumption 

In this process, the entire cashew industrial unit has successfully monetized its rooftop through a solar investment that not only pays for itself in 4 years but also hedges them from the surge in electricity tariffs, likely to take place in the future. The key benefits reaped by the solar power system in the factory are as follows: 

• Annual  energy yield of the solar power plant is over 94,000 units which allows for savings of approximately 5 lakhs/year on electricity bills.
• Received a Government subsidy in lakhs.
• Pride of not emitting carbon which is equivalent to planting more than 2790 trees annually.