SunGift Make Light Work of Increasing Solar Capacity at Numatic – Home to the iconic Henry Vacuum Cleaner.
The UK’s largest commercial cleaning equipment manufacturer and creator of the Henry vacuum, Numatic, have first-hand experience of the benefits of solar energy. They continue to turn to the technology and SunGift, to further cut their energy costs and reduce their environmental impact. When Chard-based Numatic looked to maximise their existing clean technology use, in line with their environmental policy, they turned, once again, to SunGift for the solution.
For our third visit to Numatic over 5 years, we assessed the energy consumption of the particular part of the site identified by Numatic. SunGift carried out an in-depth analysis of the energy consumption, the generation of the existing system which we installed 3 years ago, and the Western Power network constraints. From this detailed analysis, we used our sophisticated 3D modelling software to design the most appropriate system to fit their needs. In this case, we created a 151 kWp system made up of 447 340Wp JA Solar modules and the Solar Edge optimised inverter system. This new design enabled an upgrade to the software to allow for a higher export on one of the systems we had previously installed, due to an increased grid capacity. The expansion and upgrade mean that Numatic can now produce more of their own energy to be used on site.
Our close relationship with Numatic and previous knowledge of the very large and complex site meant we were able to undertake the expansion of solar capacity, integrating the new system with the existing one, with no disruption to the site, and without even interrupting the power supply.
Looking to the future, Numatic also asked us to install electric vehicle charging points and infrastructure, using expertise from SunGift once again to fulfil their commitment to climate change targets.
Numatic Property and Energy Manager, Andrew Smith, said: “Our 2013 installation paid for itself within four years and anything with a reasonable payback is worth us investing in to help us achieve the targets in the Climate Change Agreement we participate in through the British Plastics Federation. It’s something we take seriously.
“We did get quotes from other installers for this project, but they weren’t as competitive and didn’t have the site knowledge that SunGift do.
“We’re celebrating our 50th anniversary and are continuing to look to the future. Henry himself is now A rated for energy usage and our new developments will automatically be considered for energy saving. Our new sites will have more EV charge points.
Talking about the complexity of the Numatic project, Gabriel Wondrausch from SunGift said: “We needed to integrate the PV system while ensuring there was no disruption, so it was critical for us to get the design and installation correct.
We’ve worked at the Numatic site three times now, increasing and improving their solar capacity each time. This shows how quickly the industry and technology are advancing. It’s great for us to have a long-standing relationship with a company like Numatic who are keen to take advantage of technological advances, and continually strive to achieve their climate change targets.”
