Panasonic's Innovative Renewable Energy System Powers UK Facility in Cardiff
Key Ideas
- Panasonic's UK manufacturing facility in Cardiff is powered by a cutting-edge system combining hydrogen fuel cells, solar PV generators, and energy storage batteries.
- The company invested €130 million into retrofitting the site to showcase full renewable energy power for manufacturing microwave ovens and small appliances.
- An energy management system ensures stable renewable energy supply by tracking electricity demand and weather conditions, generating and storing only necessary electricity on-site.
- Panasonic's innovative system integrates 760kW solar power, battery storage, and 5kW hydrogen fuel cell generators to provide a sustainable and efficient power solution.
Panasonic has unveiled an innovative renewable energy system at its UK manufacturing facility in Cardiff, which integrates pure hydrogen fuel cell generators, solar PV generators, and energy storage batteries. The company completed the installation of a distributed power generation system, including 372kW solar PV, 1MWh battery storage, and 21 units of 5kW hydrogen fuel cell generators. This system, with a combined capacity of 105kW, is part of Panasonic's €130 million investment to showcase full reliance on renewable sources at its Welsh site. The primary goal of this retrofit is to demonstrate that the facility can be fully powered by renewable energy. An energy management system will come online by March 2025 to ensure a stable supply of renewable energy by monitoring electricity demand and weather conditions. Only the necessary amount of electricity will be generated and stored on-site. The hydrogen fuel cell generators have been optimized to match the factory's energy usage. Additionally, a 760kW solar power generation system on the factory roof, along with battery storage, contributes to the new power system. This initiative highlights Panasonic's commitment to sustainability and showcases an efficient and sustainable power solution for manufacturing operations.