Bulgarian mattress factory covers its consumption 100% with solar, batteries

A photovoltaic system of 5.6 MW with a battery capacity of 15 MWh will meet the entire electricity needs of the TED mattress factory in Plovdiv in Bulgaria.

Manufacturers throughout Southeastern Europe are deploying photovoltaics for self-consumption to reduce exposure to volatility of energy prices in the market and strengthen the security of supply. TED installed a rooftop solar power plant in 2022 of 2.6 MW, but by adding a battery energy storage system (BESS) it is now taking the game to a completely different level.

The mattress factory on the outskirts of Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city, is combining the two facilities into a hybrid power plant. Specialized software, enhanced with artificial intelligence features, optimizes storing and consumption of the energy from the batteries. It takes into account meteorological forecasts as well as power prices and data on the availability of external supply.

PV component to expand to 5.6 MW

The 15 MWh battery system consists of four liquid-cooled units. Narada and NR supplied the equipment.

TED selected Solarity for the installation of the storage facility. The plan is to increase solar power component to an overall 5.6 MW.

The plant covers 100% of the factory’s energy needs during the day, and the battery covers 100% of the nighttime needs, the contractor said.

Avalanche of projects for batteries in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is relying heavily on battery technology and energy storage overall in its energy transition. The Ministry of Energy launched a tender in August for standalone energy storage projects, which are entitled to EUR 589 million in total grants. Earlier it conducted two calls for BESS facilities to be integrated with renewable electricity plants.

An avalanche of projects has prompted the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (KEVR) to obligate investors to provide a deposit or bank guarantee of BGN 50,000 (EUR 25,600) per MWh.

Solaris Holding inaugurated a solar power plant with an energy storage facility last month on a former industrial waste site in Pernik near Sofia.

Renalfa IPP commissioned its first utility-scale battery energy storage system in June. The 25 MW – 55 MWh facility in the town of Razlog in southwest Bulgaria is colocated with a 33 MW photovoltaic plant. It is one of the first BESS units in Eastern and Southeastern Europe and the largest one in the country.

Belgian company ABEE launched a EUR 1.1 billion project in December for a battery plant, recycling facility and a research and development center in Bulgaria. Solar MD, a battery manufacturer based in South Africa, opened its LiFePO4 Energy Storage facility in Rousse last year.