[ Spotlight: Solar PV ] Park life
The Rookery Business Park in Attleborough, Norfolk, has had solar PV panels installed across its properties to help reduce its electricity costs. This is one of the largest commercial solar projects of its kind in the county, and electricity generated will be sold to tenants at a reduced rate, saving each hundreds of pounds a year. The site is home to a variety of businesses, from
Dimplex has installed solar PV at its headquarters
will be assessed and owners will be offered loans for energy saving measures. Repayments will theoretically be offset by savings on energy bills, and the debts will be attached to properties rather than individuals. Solar PV installations will only be covered if they
meet the Green Deal’s ‘golden rule’ that the cost of the installation will be recouped over a certain amount of time through lower energy bills – probably 25 years. However, although the details are yet to be finalised, a big concern is that those who install it via the Green Deal will not benefit from a FIT.
Word of warning For everyone involved in the solar PV sector, the events of the last few months have been a rough ride. However, the
The Rookery Business Park in Attleborough, Norfolk, has one of the largest commercial solar projects of its kind in the UK
For everyone involved in the solar PV sector, the events of the last few months have been a rough ride
the Norfolk Academy of Gymnastics to a Tesla electric sports car showroom. The 15 solar roofs installed by Solarcentury are anticipated to generate an average of 21,000 units of electricity a year for each business. The 278kWp of solar PV installed is due to generate 236,300 units of electricity a year for the site. Philip Frost, managing director of the Rookery Business Park, comments: ‘We believe the price of electricity from the grid is only set to rise, so solar can reduce the burden of bills on businesses in a time when there are cost reduction pressures for us all. We’re building seven new industrial units, which have been designed with a south-facing roof to accommodate solar – maximising the electricity we can get from our properties.’
reasons for getting involved in this sector remain positive and there are still significant opportunities available. If installers, manufacturers and consumers are to benefit
though, lessons must be learned. The final word goes to Paul Reeve, who concludes: ‘The government must now engage in proper dialogue with the PV sector, which has delivered the domestic and commercial PV installations, and green jobs, that DECC said it wanted from the outset.’
28
ECA Today March 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72