Alba Iulia cuts energy storage project costs by 33%

Alba Iulia City Hall has slashed the costs of its energy storage project from nearly 30 million lei to about 20 million lei. This revision follows new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Energy on September 11, 2026. Interestingly, the Local Council had approved the project's initial indicators just a day earlier, on September 10, 2026.

The project, involving battery installations for photovoltaic panels at 18 public sites, initially carried a price tag of 29,826,310.53 lei. The revised cost now stands at 19,974,111.38 lei, inclusive of VAT, marking a 33% reduction. Despite the cost-cutting, the storage capacity remains constant at 16.15 MWh.

Existing photovoltaic systems, with an installed power of 4,280.43 kWp, are expected to generate approximately 5,778 MWh annually. Batteries will absorb around 4,190.97 MWh each year, with a maximum annual stored capacity of 5,305 MWh, assuming a 90% discharge depth.

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The largest battery setups will be at the Oarda photovoltaic park, with a system capacity of 12,000 kWh and a 3,000 kW power conversion system (PCS). The ring road PV park follows with a capacity of 3,000 kWh and a 750 kW PCS. Other installations will be at schools, kindergartens, and the city hall.

Technical specs include a 90% usable discharge depth, a minimum of 80%, and a charge-discharge cycle efficiency of 95%, surpassing the required 85%. The equivalent storage duration is about 3.8 hours, within the 2-4 hour range. The system's warranty and lifespan are projected to exceed 10 years, with 6,000 to 8,000 cycles.

The project also targets environmental sustainability, aiming to cut CO2 emissions by 2,343.07 tons annually. Funding will be sought from the Modernization Fund and the local budget, with applications beginning on September 28, 2026.