Biggest Deal Yet For Photon Energy
The newly installed £1.2 million solar photovoltaic (PV) system at BSkyB's Building 2 in Osterley, West London is among the many large contracts Photon Energy has recently won. The project was completed on a very tight schedule between September 2015 and February 2016, despite challenging windy and icy weather conditions, which affected just in time deliveries and scheduled crane lifts.
Now fully commissioned, the system comprises 822 SunPower 345 Wp modules and 550 SunPower 327 Wp high efficiency PV modules, giving a total installed capacity of 463.4 kWp. SolarEdge inverters and optimisers are used to maximise the energy output from the PV system as parts of the array will be shaded at certain times of the day. The PV panels are mounted on K2 Systems aluminium frames fixed to timber kerbs and plate upstands integrated into the flat roof of the building and were carefully installed to ensure long term weatherproofing.
The installation is expected to generate a minimum of 441,100 kWh/year and save approximately 230 tonnes of carbon annually, equivalent to planting 760 trees each year.
BSkyB Building 2 is a three storey, 41,000m2 mixed-use office and studio, production, research and development facility with its own fully equipped health and fitness suite and a new energy suite. On completion (July 2016) it will be occupied by the Sky Academy*.
Photon Energy won the contract to design and install the solar PV system in a competitive tender for Prater Roofing Ltd, the specialist contractor for the building envelope. The main contractor was Mace and the consulting engineer was Arup Associates.
Arup Associates specified the size of the system, both to meet the requirement for onsite renewable energy generation and to comply with the 2013 Building Regulations. "The client was interested in solar panels with the highest efficiency to maximise the limited roof space available, making the decision to go with SunPower panels an easy choice," said Photon Energy's project manager, Abu Luswata.
Key features
The PV system incorporates many sophisticated features and is integrated with Building 2's state of the art Building and Energy Management System (BEMS). The PV system operation is also integrated with the Building's Energy Network Management System so that the PV system shuts down if the standby generator is started.
The SolarEdge optimisers constantly communicate with the 20 SolarEdge inverters which are daisy chained and connected online via a SolarEdge communication and control gateway.
Using the SolarEdge communication and control gateway, the inverters send real time PV system performance data to an online portal, which enables remote detailed analysis of the PV system performance down to individual PV panel level. The SolarEdge inverters are also connected to a fire fighter gateway (FFG) which is linked to the building's fire emergency control panel.
Jonathan Bates, Photon Energy's Managing Director said: "It's fantastic to see BSkyB installing a large solar PV system on their new facility in Osterley, and very pleasing to see that premium products have been specified. The solar PV industry in the UK is still going through very difficult times and the industry needs all the positive news it can get. So when large multi-national companies, such as BSkyB are seen to be installing solar PV on their buildings it gives a real boost to rooftop solar and helps to create a more positive environment in which the industry can operate."
