Solar energy put to a great use

Mego.ge LLC is an online supermarket established in 2019 and based in Kutaisi, Georgia. It sells products typically found in any supermarket: groceries, beverages, baked goods, etc. Thanks to its delivery service, all products sold on the website and through the app can be delivered to the customer’s door anywhere in Kutaisi.

After a recent increase in electricity rates, Mego.ge, like many other SMEs and corporates, started looking into ways of minimising costs. One of the most efficient ways was to decrease electricity costs by taking advantage of solar energy.

With the help of a local technology provider, Mego.ge prepared a detailed project plan that included all costs for installing a solar power station: the appropriate number of photoviltaic panels, a matching inverter and construction costs. To fund this green project, Mego.ge applied for green financing provided by GEFF through one of its local Partner Financial Institutions.

Company’s project was submitted by the PFI to the GEFF team for a full independent analysis. After evaluating the technical and financial parameters, GEFF experts concluded that an installed capacity of 88 kW would allow Mego.ge to save up to 111 MWh of energy each year. Mounting the installation on the roof (occupying around 760 m²) would help avoid any shading and provide an optimal slope angle for the panels to use the maximum amount of sunlight during the day.

An investment of US$ 36,700 will enable the company to save more than US$ 11,000 in operational costs, making the payback period a little over 3 years. Afterwards, the company will be able to use the savings to fund business growth. “It is not only about decreasing today’s costs, but also about freeing up funds to improve our business in the future. For instance, with the money saved, I can increase the salaries of my employees, or seek out other opportunities to improve my service or any other aspect of my business,” says the founder of Mego.ge Mr Grigol Gumberidze.

Mego.ge’s case illustrates how a sound investment in green technologies can benefit a business in both the short- and long-term. Besides the obvious business benefits that Mego.ge will enjoy, it also has the opportunity to decrease its impact on the environment by using one of the cleanest sources of energy known today.

The project is supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF).