EoW January 2014

Bright way forward for Air Control

Air Control Industries in Axminster, UK, is benefiting from a bespoke 50 kW solar PV array on its factory roof, which is generating significant yields and helping lower its energy bills. The system, which uses BenQ Solar panels, was installed at the end of 2013 and has already generated in excess of 40,000 kWh. Nick Wilson, purchasing manager at Air Control Industries, said: “Solar PV is an obvious choice for us, as it makes perfect financial sense: the payback period is short and we’re continually generating free electricity that receives Feed-in Tariff payments. The spin-off is that it’s great for our green credentials too.” With a large surface area and suitable geographical location, solar PV appeared at first glance to be a straightforward solution. However, after Exeter-based SunGift Energy carried out an initial survey and consulted with structural engineers, it was clear that any solution would not only have to generate the maximum amount of electricity using high quality panels, but also maintain the structural integrity of the roof. To make this possible, SunGift’s design team – led by Oliver Grogono – liaised closely with an independent firm of structural engineers and designed a system with sufficient spacing between the rows of panels to ensure that the roof structure wasn’t compromised at any time. This enabled SunGift to make the best use of the roof’s existing structure, minimise the loading, and provide a system that met Air Control Industries’ needs. Nick Wilson added: “SunGift did an excellent job, and – if the structure of our roof will allow it, with some additional strengthening – we will seriously consider increasing the size of the system to 250 kW.” The system also included three Sputnik Engineering SolarMax inverters. These Swiss-made inverters are very efficient, meaning that the amount of electricity generated by the PV panels is maximised.

Air Control Industries – UK Website : www.aircontrolindustries.com

33

www.read-eurowire.com

January 2014