We’ve had a batch of solar panels installed on our paint shop roof. This is how and why we decided to do it, how we’re getting on with them and what’s coming next.

Solar Panels, phase one completed.

We thought it was about time we played our part in helping the environment by reducing our carbon footprint, so we’ve covered one side of our paint shop roof with solar panels. We’ve installed eighty photovoltaic solar panels which in total produce 20kw with an estimated 14790kwh annual generation.

Solar panels installed on the roof of PharmacyMedicals paint shop

The building is used to powder coat our controlled drugs cabinets and Medicine cabinets etc. One slight problem was that the solar panels covered the roof lights so we’ve had to have a completely new internal lighting scheme installed due to the loss of ambient light installing the solar panels. The new lights however are energy saving and will pay for themselves in a few years so that’s not too much of a problem.

We were a little sceptical at first about the amount of electricity the solar panels would generate but we’ve been pleasantly surprised. On an average summer day we generate about 30% of the electricity we use in both our factory buildings. What was very surprising is that on a sunny day, when we are not using our powder coating plant we can generate all our own power ( certain times of the day) using the solar panels including when we are welding our cabinets.

The total cost of the 20kw array of Solar panels on phase one was £25,000 and this will be recouped with the feed in tariff payback in about 9 years. We are also seeing approximately £2850 return in generation tariff on top a 30% reduction on our  electricity bill. So all in all, pretty good.

Solar Panels shown in more detail installed on the roof of our paint shop

Phase two of our solar panel installation.

We are now reviewing the return on the solar panels we’ve installed as phase one and if they continue as they have been we’ll look at covering the roof of our main factory this year with panels too.

This is our main fabrication shop and offices and where we manufacture the controlled drugs cabinets before we send them over to the paint shop for finishing. This building’s twice the size of the building in phase one and will accommodate a 50kw array of solar panels generating twice the energy of the panels on the paint shop. The building is about 15 years old so we need to look at making sure the roof is in a good state of repair before fitting the solar panels.

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