- ZGR, a benchmark company in power electronics, is one of the leading solar inverter manufacturers and medium-voltage system suppliers in this country.
- The ZGR power electronics solutions at photovoltaic plants have contributed towards preventing the emission of more than 800,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, with more than 100,000 of this amount avoided each year in Mexico.
- ZGR’s renewable energy line grew by over 300% in 2020 compared to the previous year as a result of innovations in the product range it launched during that year.
- ZGR envisages a five-fold increase in its renewable energy turnover over the next two years, with extensive international activity, particularly as a result of its expansion in Colombia, Mexico, Portugal, France, Italy, Benelux, Hungary and Africa.
In 2022, ZGR will reach 1 GW of installed power at photovoltaic plants, setting it in good stead among Spanish solar inverter and medium-voltage system manufacturers in Spain.
Its solutions have contributed towards preventing the emission of more than 800,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, with more than 100,000 of this amount currently avoided each year in Mexico.
The company, with strong international presence in the renewable energy market, particularly in Mexico and Columbia, and with expansion and growth plans in Africa, Portugal, France, Italy, Benelux and Hungary, estimates that the energy line will have reached €12m by 2023, based on the company’s expansion plans.
ZGR, dominating power electronics
Since 1998, ZGR, a national manufacturing company with headquarters in Vitoria, has been providing long-term, flexible and efficient solutions for the comprehensive management of electrical energy, maximising its value for customers. Focusing on energy efficiency, ZGR’s specialisation comes from its expertise in power electronics and storage energies.
“Our energy line is designed to provide photovoltaic energy conditioning solutions for it to be transmitted, distributed, stored, consumed and hybridised with other energy sources,” says Iñigo Segura, CEO of the company.
With an annual investment in innovation of more than 10% of its annual turnover, ZGR has renewed its backlog in recent years and is currently a benchmark company in innovative solutions for grid-connected photovoltaic solar inverters.
It stands out given its ability to operate at full power under extreme temperature and altitude conditions.
“We provide high quality and reliable solutions for power generation in remote or off-grid locations. Out products and solutions help with projects involving from tens of kilowatts to hundreds of megawatts. Our solutions facilitate the management and control of energy production and regulation for the various components of the photovoltaic or storage plant. We are able to reduce energy costs or the cost of photovoltaic investment, whilst increasing consumption”, explains Eduardo Ibáñez, head of the Energy Business Division
A benchmark for modular storage systems
ZGR specialises in designing storage systems for renewable generation and the regulation of low and medium voltage electrical distribution grids.
It uses modular storage systems (like Lego, they are organised by means of interconnected modules, whereby complements can be added or removed according to the applicable requirements in a simple and organised way). There are battery-based systems (batteries with a high energy storage capacities); either traditional batteries (Lead, Nickel or Cadmium) or the latest Lithium batteries. These batteries can store energy from various sources; not just solar, but also electrical, wind or hydraulic.
These hybrid and modular storage systems are complemented with other proprietary innovative products, such as isolated smart hybrid systems which combine solar inverters, batteries and other energy sources to generate robust isolated electrical micro-grids, making the use of these energy sources extremely flexible and efficient at the same time allowing renewable sources to be combined with less volatile conventional sources for production (HITC system).
The following is achieved with this solution:
- Install rural electricity systems (domestic and community),
- Power supply to remote telecommunication nodes,
- Electrification on farms which are a long way from urban centres and
- Other energy self-consumption demands at industrial plants or logistics centres.
Also, hybrid solar generation and storage systems (PCS Grid + STR), connected to a grid for energy sales or for own consumption, allow for performance optimisation of solar energy sources, resulting in high quality, robust and stable energy in the facility.
ZGR solutions respond to the photovoltaic sector’s requirements
ZGR solutions respond to the photovoltaic sector’s requirements to improve photovoltaic generation management.
These solutions allow the energy generated to be injected into the distribution grid or for it to be consumed. It does so regardless of production environmental conditions, as these conditions can sometimes be irregular as they depend on the weather conditions.
Accordingly, the solutions are proving successful in the photovoltaic market.
“Surplus energy at peak production times is not lost. It is stored in the batteries, and when, as a result of demand or adverse weather conditions, we produce less energy or consume more. We recover it by means of the smart two-way converter system, thus supplying it to the system”, points out Eduardo Ibáñez.
From airports to large photovoltaic panel farms
Amongst other projects, ZGR is the supplier AENA selected to supply the power plants that will make it possible to commission the first large self-consuming photovoltaix facility (solar) in the largest airport in Spain, the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Madrid Airport.
The company has also participated – providing its solar inverters and smart storage systems – at one of the main solar plants in Mexico (the largest of its kind operating under the self-supply format), in the harsh environment of the Chihuana desert, and it plans to supply solar inverters for a 180 MW plant which will be built in the same region in 2022.
With these projects, ZGR will achieve growth in Mexico with 240 MW of installed power which will generate approximately 525 GWh per year.
The company’s main customers are:
- Photovoltaic project promoters
- Investment funds with in-house engineering and EPCs
- Housing promoters
- Service stations that want to get ready for the advent of the electric car
- Industrial plants
- Industrial estates, and
- Large shopping centres that implement photovoltaic plants for own-consumption
“Our most common market consists of small photovoltaic plant construction and development companies,” says Íñigo Segura, CEO- with sizes ranging from a few MW to dozens of MW, which are the most prevalent in this country. We can work with large plant construction companies in excess of 100 MW. This is where our main international projects for the next few years lie, with us already having some experience in Mexico”.
ZGR, specialist manufacturers in power electronics with local technical services
ZGR has a long history manufacturing electrical components. Its star product, 1,500 V inverters, as well as the medium-voltage systems, are produced as their Vitoria plant.
“As we are manufacturers, one of our most distinguishing factors is our technical service and manufacturing warranties. We provide ten-year warranties as well as local technical services. This means that we can respond to any problem within 24 hours with our specialist technical personnel; and if a part needs to be replaced, we replace it”, says Eduardo Ibáñez.
Having said this, ZGR has a global outlook and for this reason it works with the world’s leading suppliers of batteries and other core components for its products, and involves them in its R&D&i activities. “Our suppliers have a long track record of innovation with us. They are aware of and committed to our mid-term and long-term outlook. They see ZGR as a partner that will enable them to break into the European market. We have some powerful allies because we want them to grow with us. They form part of our value chain in R&D&i”, says the company CEO, Íñigo Segura.
ZGR, specialist in power electronics, promotes the focus on energy efficiency
ZGR’s focus on energy efficiency is extremely apparent. The company is aware that in this hyperconnected and interdependent world, in which energy is the driving force behind everything, energy efficiency must be the main focus of its customer solutions.
EZGR dreams of a future with an uninterrupted, incident-free and safe electricity supply that allows for maximum savings to be made with regard to energy use and which also drives advanced, robust, intelligent, modular and hybrid infrastructures, as these are what are required for a freer, fairer and more competitive model of society”, as stated in its corporate manifest.
ZGR endeavours to guarantee optimum management of renewable and quality electrical energy across the entire chain: generation, transmission, distribution and consumption.
The production capacity of the company is established at:
- Inverters: 2 MW / day
- Grid quality: 25 MW / year
- Direct current: 40 units / month
ZGR has a workforce of 89 people. The company anticipates 30% growth in the 2021 financial year.
ZGR also expects to double its turnover in the next two years to more than €26m.
About Zigor Corporación
ZIGOR CORPORACIÓN S.A is a corporate group that specialises in the design, manufacture, implementation and maintenance of solutions for comprehensive electrical energy management. Manufacturing since 1998, its headquarters are in Vitoria with offices in Madrid, Valencia, Mexico and Colombia.
ZGR’s solutions particularly stand out in the following areas:
- The development of smart medium voltage and grid quality systems.
- Hybrid and modular energy storage, using batteries.
It boasts three areas of specialisation:
- Industry
- Transmission and Distribution
- Energy (photovoltaic).
As it is a manufacturer, one of our most distinguishing factors is the local technical services and our manufacturing warranties.
It has a significant amount of national and international certifications and approvals for its business activities.
It allocates more than 10% of its annual turnover to investment in Research, Technological Development and Innovation for energy conversion.
