Landmark Commercial Solar PV Installation in Poole, Dorset
Save Energy completes landmark Commercial Solar PV Installation in Poole, Dorset
Working closely with Poole Housing Partnership (PHP), The Save Energy Group have completed a landmark commercial solar installation in the heart of Poole in Dorset.
The 10Kw system was installed on the top of a community of council-owned maisonettes in the heart of Poole town, in one of the windiest spots in Poole.
The 55 British-made Romag solar pv panels and fixings were chosen for their ability to operate like an aircraft, pushing downwards when the wind hits them. The system was successfully installed and commissioned on schedule and is now operating at high efficiency.
Residents of the block are already enjoying the use of the solar-generated electricity to run the communal lighting which in turn will reduce the service charge they have to pay; a great cost-saving measure at this time of austerity.
Meanwhile PHP can now claim to be solar-powered and is being paid for the electricity generated by the panels - both for the electricity generated that is being used in the block, and that which is exported to the national grid.
Residents can even monitor how much electricity is being generated whilst seeing how much carbon is being saved in the process. Amazingly a ton of carbon has already been saved!
This first project has been funded by PHP itself but the next step is to install solar panels on over 1000 council housing roofs in the Borough of Poole. This is being funded by a loan of £10 million following Poole Council approval back in April. Once the capital has been repaid PHP anticipates a healthy surplus which will be used to finance other renewable energy and water-saving projects that will benefit other council residents whose homes are not suitable for this scheme.
Director of Save Energy, Steve Randall, is delighted to be partnered with PHP for this pilot project and is proud to say that not only are the solar panels British-made but the work was carried out by a local firm, employing over 20 people from the area.
Both PHP and residents of Whatleigh Close can even view real-time energy data from the commercial solar installation.
Updated every 10 minutes, the system shows how much energy is being generated, how much CO2 has been saved & how much has been earnt in Clean Energy Cashback / Feed-In Tariff payments. Additionally, regular reporting back to Save Energy HQ allows the Save Energy Group to closely monitor individual solar panels within the array, alerting the company proactively if system performance were to fall below expected levels.
PHP is responsible for the management of all Poole council owned properties. It was set up in 2004 as an Arms-Length Management Organisation. It has been rated as a 3 star housing organisation meeting the Excellence standard. Its success secured funding of £35.4 million for improving homes across Poole up to 2010.
