Gigasolar Case Study: Green maintenance of photovoltaic park with MDB LV 300 PRO
This case study comes from our Japanese distributor, Gigasolar, which is responsible for distribution and service of MDB products in Japan. Gigasolar also operates and maintains solar farms throughout Japan.
One of the main issues for Gigasolar is the maintenance of grass in photovoltaic parks. Grass and weeds can grow up to 1-3 meters, blocking sunlight and thus reducing the efficiency of power generation. It therefore becomes the most important critical maintenance element of a PV park. In addition, having a clean PV park makes it easier to maintain and inspect solar panels.
There are two challenges related to grass and weed maintenance. The first is the safety and health of the operator, and the second is finding the most economical method of green maintenance. Gigasolar describes how it has used the LV 300 PRO e LV 500 PRO to create cost savings and efficiency compared to manual mowers.
Operator safety
Before using the machines LV 300 PRO Green Climber , Gigasolar used hand-operated lawn and weed mowers. Using a hand-operated mower presents safety issues for the operator, with risks of sunstroke, bee and hornet stings, snake bites, vibration, and risks of falls from steep slopes. By using Green Climber, workers can reduce these risks by performing the same task with much less physical workload.
Efficiency and cost-effectiveness
Analysis of the efficiency and costs of LV 300 PRO in head-to-head competition with the hand mower yields impressive results.
Katsunobu Aoki, CEO of Gigasolar, says, “The use of the MDB Green Climber machines has greatly improved the operation and maintenance of our solar farms while increasing the satisfaction of our employees.”
The LV 300 PRO is 5 times faster than the manual mower:
- Manual mower: 600㎡/day (6 working hours)
- LV 300 PRO: 3,000㎡/day. (6 working hours)
The LV 300 PRO is 5 times more convenient:
- Manual lawn mower: €0.35 (¥43.5) / 1㎡
- LV 300 PRO: 0.065 EUROS (¥9.0)/1㎡
A further cost saving, not shown in above, emerges from the fact that when using a manual mower it is necessary to remove grass and cut weeds. However, the model LV 300 PRO, equipped with shredding knives on the header, is able to cut the mowings to a size that allows them to decompose in the soil.
Finally, workers who work with Green Climbers are much more satisfied with their jobs, with lower stress levels on the body and mind.