Press release – pictures available
DATE: 7 March 2022
For immediate release
STARTS
Plymouth’s largest solar rollout harnesses rooftop energy to meet net-zero goals ahead of target
In Plymouth’s largest commercial solar installation to date, South West installer SunGift Solar is supporting the unitary authority’s ambitions to make Devon’s largest city carbon neutral by 2030 – a full twenty years ahead of the government’s official target.
To help Plymouth City Council meet its net-zero goals, SunGift has to date fitted around 2,300 solar PV (solar photovoltaic) panels on a wide variety of council-owned buildings since winning a competitive tender for the work. The properties benefitting from rooftop arrays include council offices, a refuse centre, a depot and the city’s multi-award-winning new museum and art gallery, The Box. The smallest of these fit-outs have seen the addition of around thirty solar panels to a single property, the largest more than 900.
Each building presented its own unique set of challenges; for the installation at The Box, for example, SunGift was adding into an existing solar PV system. This created an extra layer of complexity to the design due to the need to get each system to interact efficiently and for the grid connections to work reliably.
The largest installation of 930 panels was at the Highways depot in Prince Rock, which now benefits from the generation of 321kW. On the same site, the admin building has a further 50 panels generating 17kW.
Design know-how is critical for the long-term efficiency of renewable energy systems on large multi-site projects. SunGift has been prominent in the solar PV sector since 2005 and has unrivalled expertise. The company’s design capability is at its best-ever level; it now has more highly-skilled employees than ever before with related degrees and real-world experience in electronics and engineering.
Founder and Director Gabriel Wondrausch explains, “SunGift has built up an enviable in-house capability; this makes a huge difference to the design of a system, for example, the way the components interact with the site where they are being installed.
“Ultimately, the longevity of every system is down to the quality of the design.”
SunGift is also working on similar projects for Cornwall Council, Devon County and Exeter City – as the South West pushes forward with renewable energy systems to reduce carbon emissions.
Gabriel adds, “Our experience means we can help clients with goals that are often technically difficult. We approach each installation by establishing exactly what can be achieved and ensuring the delivery of efficient, long-lasting systems.
“The Plymouth City Council schedule of works ran on time and to budget, and we’re looking forward to working with the Council for many years to come.”
“Our ethos as a business is firmly grounded in a desire to help the environment and combat climate change, so it’s gratifying to work with local authorities that don’t just talk about climate issues but take action to bring about real change.”
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Images
- The Box from Tavistock Place
- Gabriel Wondrausch from SunGift
NOTES
Other installations within the project for Plymouth City Council include:
- Chelsom Meadows 295kW / 856 panels
- Ballard House 80kW / 230 panels
- Crownhill Court 50kW / 130 panels
- Council House 25kW / 70 panels
- The Box 18kW / 31 panels
SunGift Solar
SunGift was founded in 2005 by clean energy entrepreneur Gabriel Wondrausch who realised there was a need for an installer dedicated to quality and customer service.
We were one of the first installers to be awarded Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation.
Our mission is to design and install the best bespoke clean energy solutions, including solar PV, energy storage, LED lighting, and EV charging.
We are proud to have received numerous awards at industry, national and regional events, including the Tesla Performance Excellence Awards, Exeter Property Awards, Western Morning News Business Awards, Solar Power Portal Awards, South West Green Energy Awards and British Renewable Energy Awards.
SunGift is based at Huxham Farm near Exeter. Our green ethos pervades our business: our fleet of cars is fully electric fleet of cars, our offices powered solely by renewable energy, we offer discounted solar PV systems to all staff, and provide green spaces, organic fruit and bread at the workplace.
