Question 1

How do Solar Rooftop and BESS each cut a factory's bill, and why are both needed?

Accepted Answer

A factory bill has two parts. Solar Rooftop cuts the energy charge (kWh) — self-generating by day instead of buying On-Peak power at ~THB 4.18-4.33/kWh. But Solar does not reduce the Demand Charge, because demand is billed on the highest 15-minute peak, which often occurs under cloud cover or at night when solar can't help. BESS is what does peak shaving — discharging to clip that peak and cut the Demand Charge 15-25%. Together they reach 30-50% savings; Solar alone typically saves only 20-30% and never touches the Demand Charge.

Question 2

What is the Demand Charge, and how much can peak shaving really cut it?

Accepted Answer

The Demand Charge is billed on your highest 15-minute power peak in the month, times a rate of ~THB 132-210/kW/month (depending on voltage level). A single peak — say a midday chiller starting alongside large motors — sets the charge for all 30 days. BESS + GridMind AI detect an emerging peak and instantly discharge so the demand drawn from the grid never crosses the cap — typically a 15-25% Demand Charge cut. Factories with spiky loads (motor starts, batch processes) save even more.

Question 3

What's the payback period and IRR for a typical factory?

Accepted Answer

Typically 4-6 year payback at 12-15% IRR under current Thai industrial TOU rates. Payback accelerates with: (1) a high On-Peak load share (2) a high per-kW Demand Charge (sub-22kV factories pay ~THB 210/kW) (3) spiky peaks that peak shaving can trim deeply (4) BOI incentives or accelerated depreciation. Projects where Solar+BESS are sized to the real load profile often hit near 4-year payback, while Solar-only stretches to 6-8 years because it never touches the Demand Charge.

Question 4

How does the system help with CBAM and carbon reporting for exports?

Accepted Answer

EU CBAM entered its definitive period on 1 January 2026 for steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser, electricity and hydrogen. Certificates go on sale February 2027 and the first surrender for 2026 imports falls due 30 September 2027; importers under 50 tonnes a year are exempt. Exporters must report embedded emissions including Scope 2 (purchased electricity). Solar Rooftop + BESS reduce grid imports carrying a high emission factor = verifiable Scope 2 reduction. The LEONICS energy monitoring system produces an auditable report: RE kWh, avoided Scope 2, and RE ratio — in a format ready to submit for CBAM, T-VER and ESG, with no manual back-calculation.

Question 5

Will installation disrupt production or require a factory shutdown?

Accepted Answer

No production shutdown is required. Solar Rooftop is installed on the roof while the plant runs normally; the grid tie-in happens during a short, pre-scheduled maintenance window. BESS + PCS are containerised, placed beside the building and wired into the main distribution board. The system is grid-tied with backup — it parallels the utility under normal conditions without disturbing the load, with standards-compliant anti-islanding. The UPS / ride-through function also guards against voltage sags that trip PLCs and servos, cutting in-shift scrap. We commission in phases so the line keeps running.

Question 6

How is GridMind AI different from a fixed charge/discharge schedule?

Accepted Answer

A fixed schedule (e.g. charge at midnight, discharge at 2pm) works only when load and sunlight are constant — but real factory load swings with the production plan and solar varies with cloud cover. GridMind AI forecasts ahead — both load and solar output per interval — then computes how much energy to hold back to clip the peak that's actually about to happen and to discharge across On-Peak for maximum value. The result is a deeper Demand Charge cut, with no peak overshoot from the battery emptying at the wrong moment. It's the same forecasting technology LEONICS runs in production solar/load forecasting at its Bangkok site.

Cut factory electricity 30-50% with Solar Rooftop + BESS Peak Shaving + GridMind AI

The Challenge

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