The glass processing industry, known for its high energy consumption, faces unique challenges in reducing carbon emissions. AGC Glass Hungary Kft, a subsidiary of AGC Automotive Europe located in Hungary, is a manufacturer of side windows, rear windshields, and sunroofs for a wide range of automobile brands. AGC is firmly committed to reducing its carbon footprint and has chosen to invest in sustainability. E.ON Hungária Group has set up a 4 MWp (megawatt peak) solar farm on AGC's premises, ensuring a long-term supply of green energy and significantly contributing to the company's carbon neutrality goals.

This solar farm is located in the Tatabánya-Környe Industrial Park, adjacent to AGC's Környe-based Hungarian facility. E.ON's team of experts has installed 8,802 solar panels across 5 hectares of available land, enabling AGC's solar farm to generate 4.8 GWh (gigawatt hours) of electricity annually, equivalent to the energy consumption of around 1,900 households. The solar energy collected by 34 inverters, each with a capacity of 100 kW, is converted from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The AC power is then channelled through two on-site transformer stations to provide the glass manufacturing plant with green energy.

The solar farm at AGC's Hungarian site is the product of a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with E.ON. This innovative project allows E.ON to supply AGC with electricity at a predetermined price, shielded from market fluctuations. This contract between AGC Glass Hungary Kft and E.ON Hungária Group represents Hungary's first PPA for solar power, in which an energy company installs a solar farm at the customer's site, ensuring a reliable and enduring source of renewable electricity.
This initiative was conceived, designed, and contracted in 2021, well before the recent surge in energy prices. Even at that time, AGC recognized the strategic importance of maximizing their use of renewable energy and decreasing their carbon footprint. The project commenced during the post-pandemic recovery period, facing challenges related to supply chain disruptions and other factors. Therefore, the involvement of expert partners with extensive experience in executing such projects became even more crucial.

László Sabján, Managing Director of AGC Glass Hungary Kft, expressed his perspective on the project, stating, "Our dedication to renewable energy is evident in the fact that the electricity cost we agreed upon in the contract exceeded the grid price at the time. Subsequent events have confirmed our decision's wisdom, and we have further plans to expand our reliance on solar power. E.ON's renewable energy will make plant operations significantly smoother, ensuring no additional burdens compared to traditional grid power."

Thanks to this partnership, AGC's Hungarian facility will reduce its CO2 emissions by 116 to 220 grams per kilowatt-hour through the generation of renewable electricity. This also provides protection against volatile energy market prices. AGC incurred no initial expenses for the solar farm, as it is fully funded and operated by E.ON, with remote monitoring of renewable electricity generation handled by E.ON through its operations management centre.

András István Tóth, Managing Director of E.ON MyEnergy Kft, a member of the E.ON Hungária Group, added, "Our corporate clients are increasingly focused on not only lowering carbon emissions but also enhancing supply security and guarding against commodity market fluctuations. All these goals can be met by reducing their carbon footprint and producing green energy on-site. Through this latest addition to the series of collaborative projects between E.ON and AGC, our partner is demonstrating a firm commitment to renewable energy in the long run. This strategy allows them to plan costs in advance, secure their energy supply, and, last but not least, achieve their decarbonization targets."

The partnership between E.ON SE, based in Essen, and AGC Glass Europe, headquartered in Belgium, was established in 2019. Since then, these two major European companies have successfully executed various joint energy efficiency projects across Europe, including recent ones in Seingbouse, France, and multiple sites in the Czech Republic. E.ON and AGC plan to continue their long-term partnership and expand their portfolio of photovoltaic power plants throughout Europe in the future.