SOLAR POWER
EUROTUNNEL OFF-GRID SOLAR + STORAGE INSTALLATION FOR MOTORWAY LED SIGNAGE
Requirement:
Energy Saving Specialist Limited (ESS) contracted to provide 9.12 kWp Solar PV array, plus sufficient battery storage to power Eurotunnel LED signage 12 hours nightly, for up to five consecutive nights.
Challenge:
Integrate lowest maintenance, self-sustaining, cost effective, environmentally safe storage solution to power motorway sign for up to 5 nights without solar generation. Five nights storage requirement due to minimal solar generation during dark winter days, often with frequent rain in Britain.
Decision Options/Variables: 1.
Grid Connection cost due to remote motorway location would be significantly more than the cost of Solar PV and Storage. Plus, continued cost of electricity.
2.
Diesel Generator, running constantly with maintenance requirement, constant diesel supply and air pollution. Life cycle cost and LCOE higher than battery storage. (Option financially and environmentally unacceptable)
5. 4. 3.
Solar PV with lead acid batteries that require maintenance, replacement after several years and can only be discharged partially. Initial capital cost similar when actual discharge performance of lead acid calculated. Essentially, twice as much rated kWhr capacity is required for lead acid compared to Aquion and 50 – 80% more capacity than lithium ion. Lead acid option actually more costly when life cycle costs calculated.
The client’s ongoing commitment to better environmental stewardship was an integral part of the decision making process. The Cradle to Cradle Certification of the Aquion batteries and end of life disposal issues associated with other battery technologies was a significant consideration in comparing the Aquion system to lithium ion and lead acid. Aquion Energy Storage System, a safe, sustainable, self-regulating, no maintenance, 100% dischargeable, easily recyclable, circular economy, 10 -15 year life cycle solution.
Selected Solution:
Aqueous Hybrid Ion batteries manufactured by Aquion Energy and distributed by Solar PV Partners in the UK,
with Victron chargers and voltage converters.
Since the installation completion in
January, the Aquion batteries have run the Eurotunnel sign for up to two weeks continuously without recharge, far exceeding the 5 overnight period requirement by almost 3 times. During the darkest days of January when there was very little solar generation whatsoever in the Eurotunnel entrance area in Britain, the 25kWhr Aquion storage system powered the motorway sign continuously for 24 hours a day, for over a week, whilst still retaining over 50% of charge capacity.
Conclusions:
The Aqueous Hybrid Ion Solution chosen by Energy Saving Specialist and provided by Solar PV Partners has far exceeded performance specifications/ requirements and is expected to continue lighting the Eurotunnel welcome signage for the next decade or two, without maintenance, hazardous materials or pollution. Below is the EU Directive on batteries and accumulators, which clearly encourages the move to less polluting and more environmentally responsible storage systems. Energy Saving Specialist, Solar PV Partners and Eurotunnel have certainly followed this directive for the digital signage installation.
From the FAQ document titled “EU directive 2006/66/EU on batteries and Accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators”:
2.3 preventative measures: In addition, EU Member States are required to promote research and encourage improvements in the environmental performance of batteries through their life-cycle, and encourage the marketing of batteries which contain less polluting substances (in particular substitutes for mercury, cadmium and lead) (Article 5).
www.energysavingspecialist.co.uk www.solarpvpartners.com
ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • MARCH 2016 31
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