Solar PV for Somerton Court, Somerset
Somerset property owner recognises the importance of quality solar photovoltaic system in maximising ROI.
The owners of Somerton Court Country House in Somerset made the decision to install a solar photovoltaic array on a barn some distance from the country house to capitalise on the generous feed in tariffs now available. They contacted Ecoliving’s South West office and insisted on quality, realising that the feed in tariff is a 25 year investment and longevity of the system with high yields for maximum return was top priority. Ecoliving presented a packaged based on SOLFEX energy systems Kioto KPV PE Q cells modules. The module itself uses high quality German cells, proven to work better in low light conditions. The Austrian manufactured module with a market leading 12 year manufacturer’s product guarantee and linear efficiency decrease of 98% in the first year, then a 0.75% reduction per annum to 25 years was proven, using independent simulation software, to outperform Asian cell modules and produce in some cases up to 10% more kWh per annum and consequently more cash back for the investor!
Ecoliving worked with the customer to maximise the potential return on investment by liaising with the network operator and agreeing that the power generated could be taken from the barn to the 4 star country house accommodation where a far higher proportion could be used. This means a higher return because less electricity will have to be purchased.
Director of the Ecoliving South West office, Graham Haine, commented, ‘This is a particularly satisfying project because with a bit of lateral thinking we have been able to design a solar pv solution that is going to deliver an even better return on investment than we originally anticipated. The UK now has the most generous feed in tariffs in Europe and the investment potential here in the south west is very exciting with solar photovoltaic projects becoming an important part of our micro-renewable energy work along with other technologies like heat pumps and solar thermal.’
SYSTEM SPOTLIGHT - COMPONENTS & YIELDS UP CLOSE
Modules SOLFEX energy systems Kioto KPV PE
205 Q cells Mounting System SOLFEX energy systems Sungrid
on roof with specialist hanger bolt
fixing / certified for wind loads
Inverter selection 2 x Mastervolt XL 15 15 - 3 Phase
Inverter system wiring type Series wired modules, parallel strings
System Orientation–Angle of inclination Due South, 25°
Estimated Yield approximately 27,283kWh p/annum
Estimated index linked annual FIT approximately £12,386
C02 saving 24,000kg p/annum