Work completed on 250 kWp solar pv array

A huge 250 kWp solar array has just been competed at the Met Office that can generate enough electricity to meet the demand of one of its powerful supercomputers.

 

Generating 221,000 kW hours of electricity per year (the equivalent energy needs of 67 houses), the solar panels will save the emission of around 116 tonnes of CO2 per year.

 

 

Installed by Exeter-based renewable energy specialist SunGift Solar, the 1,000-panel array stretches across the entire roof of the Met Office’s 150-metre-long Energy Centre, includes more than 5km of cable and is linked to sophisticated equipment, enabling up-to-the-minute monitoring of the panels’ performance.

Peter Clayton-White, Building Services Engineer at the Met Office, said: “On a sunny day this array will generate enough energy to run one of our three supercomputers on sunshine, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of our energy.”

Although SunGift’s team of installers took just five days to install the panels, the whole installation took about six weeks, but was delivered one and a half weeks ahead of schedule.

“The Met Office’s supercomputers are remarkable machines that carry out research into climate change,” said SunGift Solar business development manager Gareth Walton, “so there’s enormous satisfaction in knowing that they are now being powered by renewable energy that we have installed.  It’s also rewarding to have completed such a complex job ahead of schedule, with no major issues, and to such a high standard.”

Viewable footage of the installation

During the installation, SunGift Solar recorded the developments with a time-lapse camera, from the introduction of the initial roof works and hand rails to the completion of the 1,000th panel.  This footage can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuYpYukji2U&feature=plcp.

 

 

For further information contact SunGift Solar on 01392 213912, or visit sungiftsolar.wpstagecoach.com