Ground Mounted Solar PV Derbyshire Farm House
Ground Mounted Solar PV Derbyshire Farm House
| 20 year Return | £58,000 |
|---|---|
| Payback | 7 years (14% return) |
| Cost | £15,000 - £20,000 |
| Bill Saving | £1,100 p.a. |
| Income | £1,800 p.a. |
| Carbon Offset | 5,000 Kg p.a. |
Return is calculated using combined bill savings and subsidy earnings. Bill savings are calculated using estimated energy usage and either the electricity price at the time of installation (6 August, 2014) or, for our heating products, the existing fuel type available to the property.
Having just moved into a large rural property, heated with oil, the owner was looking for the best way to reduce energy costs over the long-term. A colleague recommended EnergyMyWay and we carried out a renewable energy survey of the property. Our renewable energy specialists recommended a 35kW ETA biomass boiler (see separate case study) and a 10kW ground mounted Solar PV array.
The exterior of the property backs onto a field facing due south, which we identified as the ideal location for a ground mounted Solar PV array. To preserve the views from the property, we designed a system hidden behind a row of trees. As the solar panels are not visible, the owner chose a quality German engineered traditional silver framed panel from SolarWorld. In locations where aesthetics are important, we usually recommend the slightly more aesthetic black-framed range. EnergyMyWay managed the successful planning application for this installation.
EnergyMyWay installed 10kW of Solar PV to maximise the returns from the Feed-in Tariff, the higher rate tariff being capped at 10kW. To make the most of the solar energy we installed a Wattson monitoring display, which allows you to see when there is excess free solar electricity to use. An Optimmersion hot water system was also installed, which automatically diverts excess free electricity to the hot water tank, saving on water heating. The AGA was switched to electricity, so it could use solar power and reduce its running costs.
Case study gallery:
Please click thumbnail to view larger image
