UK's Largest Rooftop Solar Array Underway
Mark Group has announced the construction of the UK's largest roof mounted solar panel array installation for Marks & Spencer at its East Midlands Distribution Centre in Castle Donington. The 24,272 solar panels, if laid end to end, would cover a distance of 39km, crossing the English Channel with ease.
The installation, which is expected to be completed in early 2015, will cover the 900,000 sq ft roof of the distribution centre, and generate over 6,000 MWh of electricity per annum "“ enough to power 1,200 homes "“ lowering M&S's carbon footprint by 48,000 tonnes over 20 years.
"Providing the expertise to install this number of solar PV's with a cantilever mounting system for maximum output is a highly specialised task," explains Nathan Snowden-Merrills, project lead, Mark Group.
"Working on a roof that's 30 metres high and the size of around 11 football pitches requires specialist experience and we are used to achieving success for installations of this scale and complexity.
"The completed solution will create one of the most sustainable distribution centres in the world making it self-sufficient during daylight hours and setting a high benchmark for others to follow."
Mark Group has worked alongside Amber Infrastructure, which has provided the funding of the project and SBC Renewables, which has designed the system.
