UK energy company Drax has announced the completion of its first PV project at one of its hydropower stations in Scotland.
The system was deployed at the Glenlee hydropower station in Galloway and is the first of eight projects that the company wants to deploy at its run-of-river hydro power stations in Galloway and Lanark in Scotland.
“The solar array is used to offset the electrical demand for the individual site. Each power station takes power from the local distribution network, which connects to the power station's low-voltage supply board,” Mike Wynd, Drax's Head of Hydro, told pv magazine. “The solar array is connected directly to this low-voltage board, enabling the imported power to be offset. If we are generating sufficient power, then the power can be exported to the local distribution network.”
The company will invest £850,000 ($1.158 million) in the projects, as part of its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions across its value chain by the end of 2040.
“This is an attractive investment for Drax, both commercially and for meeting our sustainability goals. We will reduce our demand for electricity and the costs we incur as a business for power, while at the same time demonstrating our leadership in moving closer to our net zero ambition,” Wynd added.
In total, around 1,500 SunPower panels will be fitted by Drax's project partner Geo Green Power, to a total PV capacity of 693 kW and annual generation of 480 MWh. The inverters were provided by Solaredge, while the choice of mounting system was subject to significant review, given the need for weather loadings.
“We have one further hydro site, a pumped storage hydro facility near Oban, that is not included in this initial investment,” concluded Wynd. “As a business, we will continue to evaluate opportunities to maximize power generation capacity across our sites for both our commercial and sustainability goals.”
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