Modern Building Services

22 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES NOVEMBER 2022 R enewable Energy is on the Curriculum for 11 schools in Coventry and South Gloucestershire. • Rooftop solar arrays on 11 schools forecast to produce combined energy savings of more than £194,000 and reduce carbon emissions by 298 tonnes each year • Three Phase Inverters with Synergy technology are chosen to ‘future proof’ solar installations as schools’ electricity consumption increases • The monitoring platform to be used in the classroom to teach students about the importance of sustainability A global smart energy technology provider, SolarEdge, announced its DC-optimised solar solution has been chosen to supply clean, renewable energy for 11 schools in Coventry and South Gloucestershire. Funded by grants from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the rooftop PV systems are forecast to produce combined annual energy savings of more than £194,000 and reduce carbon emissions by 298 tonnes. Improve energy efficiency of public buildings The installations were completed in separate projects by Ineco Energy as part of wide-sweeping initiatives by Coventry and South Gloucestershire Councils to improve the energy efficiency of their public buildings. They chose a DC-optimised system tomeet the councils’ requirements for maximum energy generation, enhanced safety and – crucially – to ensure the lowest possible operation and maintenance (O&M) costs over the lifetime of the systems. Within this system, power optimizers are attached to solar modules to track the performance of each module – or pair of modules – in real time, and to allow each to work at its own maximum power point. In the event of a problem, an automatic alert is sent to the maintenance team, identifying the exact unit at fault. This means problems can be remedied rapidly, saving both time and money. Further, it ensures that any energy production losses resulting from system underperformance are kept to a minimum. With just a six-week window during the summer holidays to complete all 11 installs, the installers opted to use Three Phase Inverters with Synergy technology at several of the schools. Synergy is a modular system that splits the functionality of traditional large-scale inverters into three smaller, lightweight units, enabling rapid and cost- effective installation. Overcoming grid restraints The Synergy series also provides an easy way to manage export limitations in line with G100 regulations, enabling installers to overcome local grid constraints. In addition, the inverters can be oversized by up to 150%. This increases energy production from solar arrays without having to add additional inverters, helping to reduce costs. It will also ensure the PV systems are large enough to cope with what will be an inevitable increase in demand for electricity due to the electrification of heat and transport. 100% carbon neutral Another solution was chosen to maximise energy production and meet demand for enhanced safety in a 3,000 sq. ft warehouse inWest London. It is now 100% carbon neutral following the installation of a a DC-optimised rooftop solar system. The 447-module optimised array produces 161MWh of solar energy each year – enough to offset 100% of the building’s regulated energy use. Should a future tenant require additional power, 30% of the roof space is still available and more solar modules can be added to meet their energy requirements. The system was installed as part of a major refurbishment of a Premier Park Unit E warehouse, at Park Royal. Hollis, the real estate consultancy chosen to design and implement the project, first reduced the building’s energy use through the implementation of energy-efficiency technologies, and then offset it with solar energy. It was ultimately was selected because of its Power Optimizer technology that increases energy production by overcomingmismatch issues such as soiling, shading and uneven ageing that can significantly limit energy production in traditional string inverter systems. Another priority was the ability tomonitor the system’s performance in real time via themonitoring platform. Solar Edge explains how solar energy is making huge energy savings for schools and maximising energy production for a warehouse in London. DC-optimised PV solutions installed on Gloucestershire school The 43,000 sq. ft warehouse roof Solar solutions chosen by schools and warehouse FEATURE PROJECT NOTEBOOK