24,272 PV modules are spread across the whole roof area of the East Midland Distribution Centre which measures 460 metres by 170 metres. SBC Renewables (SBC) designed a de-centralised system using 90 KACO new energy Powador 60.0 TL3 and four Powador 18.0 TL3 solar PV inverters. One major challenge was just where to put the inverters? The installation of the PV system was also carried out during ongoing distribution centre operations, with access to the 30 metre high roof provided by four external 6 storey stair towers. That being said, the way that SBC managed to design the installation with the inverters so close to the modules was a work of art.
"We settled on the perfect size 50 kVA inverter from KACO new energy as these ticked all the boxes in terms of quality and reliability. They were also an ideal size to lower into the 4×30-metre high roof hatches above the plant rooms. Each has three MPP trackers ideally sized for the proposed layout. The 4-string MPPTs also added shadow tolerance, redundancy and traceability in the event of any string problem," said Dr. Clive Weatherby, Technical Director at SBC.
The solar power from this ?rooftop solar park? amounts to 6.1 megawatts. This now takes the crown as the largest PV installation on a single rooftop in the United Kingdom. To give an example in terms of figures, the PV array covers the energy supply of 2,000 households. The inverters convert the solar energy into alternating current to be used directly on-site. Marks & Spencer, one of the most established and largest retail chains in the country has therefore created a prime example of commercial self-use of solar power. The backdrop to this is Plan A, in which Marks & Spencer has set itself the target of covering the entire energy needs of all of their buildings in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 100 % renewable energy sources by 2020.
We are very pleased to be part of this commitment. I sincerely hope that many more companies will put commercial self-use of solar power on their agendas. In that way we wont need to have long needless discussions about new atomic power stations and their controversial subsidies, such as we are having at the moment with Hinkley Point C," said Ralf Hofmann, CEO of KACO new energy.
