One of the largest metallurgical enterprises in the Dnipropetrovsk region has completed a comprehensive energy independence project. The plant has commissioned Ukraine's largest corporate rooftop solar power plant (SPP) with a capacity of 4 MW, integrated with a 4.2 MWh industrial battery energy storage system (BESS). The project, implemented by Rayton, will allow the plant to save approximately $1.5 million annually.

As of April 1, 2026, the total cost of electricity for industrial consumers (Voltage Class 2) in the region is 9–10 UAH/kWh, peaking at 12–15 UAH/kWh during evening hours on the Day-Ahead Market (DAM). With the plant's monthly consumption ranging from 400 to 500 MWh, electricity bills amounted to 4–5 million UAH. Furthermore, sudden power outages threatened to halt the electric arc furnaces, resulting in tens of thousands of hryvnias in direct losses every hour and risking damage to expensive equipment.

"For modern industry, particularly in energy-intensive sectors like metallurgy, self-generation and industrial batteries are no longer just an eco-trend; they are a fundamental prerequisite for survival and competitiveness," commented Olha Lesko, Director and Co-Founder of Rayton. "This complex in Dnipro has become one of the largest industrial hybrid projects in Ukraine, and the largest existing rooftop solar plant for self-consumption using a ballasted mounting system. We have created a system that does more than just generate kilowatts; it intelligently manages the entire plant's energy consumption, protecting it from blackouts and price shocks in the electricity market."

How the Plant's Smart Energy System Works

The SPP complex (4,027 kW) and the storage system (4,180 kWh) operate as a single organism, addressing three key tasks:

Direct Consumption: From 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, solar energy directly powers the production lines. During peak sunlight hours, the plant utilizes its own free energy instead of drawing from the grid.
Peak Shaving and Energy Arbitrage: Excess generation charges the batteries. When consumption spikes, the BESS instantly discharges energy, preventing the enterprise from exceeding its contracted grid capacity and incurring penalties. In the evening (8:00 PM–10:30 PM), when grid electricity prices are at their highest, the plant operates on the cheap energy stored during the day.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): In the event of a blackout, the system switches to battery power in just 20 milliseconds. The production equipment does not detect the transition, and the 4.2 MWh capacity is sufficient to safely run critical lines for several hours. This means that, in addition to generating revenue from tariff differences, the Energy Storage System (ESS) allows the plant to safely complete necessary processes and avoid halting production if the grid goes down.
Economic Impact: Payback in 3 Years

Total investments in the modern energy complex amounted to approximately $3.9 million, of which $3 million was allocated to the construction of the solar power plant, and another roughly $900,000 to the integration of the energy storage systems.

The projected annual generation of the SPP is 4 million kWh. At an average tariff of 8 UAH/kWh, this will generate approximately 32 million UAH (over $727,000) in financial returns per year, recouping at least a third of the invested funds annually. Although energy storage systems slightly increase the cost of a "solar" kilowatt, their utilization unlocks maximum efficiency, yielding $1.5 million annually (combined savings from SPP generation and the ESS – ed.).

"The economic model of the solar power plant shows a payback period of less than three years—an unprecedented figure that proves the ultra-high profitability of such solutions," adds Olha Lesko. "Over the projected 30-year operational lifespan, the SPP and ESS will bring the plant over 1.9 billion UAH in net benefits."

About the Company:

Rayton is a company dedicated to making solar energy accessible to everyone. We offer industrial enterprises turnkey solutions based on solar power plants and industrial energy storage systems.

The company has implemented over 300 projects with a total capacity of more than 100 MW of solar generation and over 40 MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS). The project in the Dnipropetrovsk region ranks among the top 3 largest facilities implemented by the company.