Case Study:
Markey Group, Gloucester

Markey Group

999.99 kWp (2,439 panel) installation

Located in the Gloucestershire, Markey Group is a family-owned business comprising multiple specialized subsidiary companies in Property Management and Development, Construction, Manufacturing, and Health Care. Originally founded in 1963 as a small local building company by the late Brendan Markey, the Group is currently led by his sons, Tony and Paul. In the last decade, Markey Group has experienced significant growth and success with an annual turnover exceeding £30 million and a local workforce of over 270 employees.

Building upon their accomplishments, Markey Group has now turned its focus towards sustainability. Recognising the importance of environmental stewardship, the company has shifted its interests to prioritise sustainable practices and initiatives. They are actively exploring ways to reduce their carbon footprint, implement eco-friendly construction methods, and promote energy efficiency throughout their operations. By embracing sustainability, Markey Group aims to contribute to a greener future while continuing to deliver high-quality services.

Making connections

Markey Group engaged with Mypower in late 2021 seeking guidance on the optimal solar PV solution to help meet their sustainability goals. Following Mypower’s consultation and application with Western Power Distribution (now National Grid), a system size of 1 MWp was agreed upon. A tender process was then run, and a contract to install was awarded to Mypower in late April 2022. The required planning application submitted by Mypower soon thereafter.

Markey Group’s electrical contractors collaborated with Mypower to design and implement the best solution for connecting the solar PV system into Premiere Kitchen’s electrical supply. To comply with the G100 Export Limitation regulations Mypower utilised the inverter manufacturer’s limitation technology as well as installing a secondary fail-safe system as a backup export limitation method.

A full turn-key service

Once the pre-requisite grid, structural and planning applications and assessments were facilitated and successfully completed by Mypower the sizeable solar installation commenced in July 2022. To facilitate the installation of the solar PV panels a crane was employed to lift over 2,000 panels onto the roof of the building. This efficient method allowed for the safe and swift placement of the panels, ensuring that the installation process progressed smoothly and on time. Running in parallel to the installation the electricity metering was upgraded to and contracts setup to allow for any excess generation to be measured and sold.

Sharing power

The 999.99kWp system went live in September 2022 and is predicted to generate over 850,000kWh of clean low cost electricity a year. The system will provide approximately 30% of the site’s annual electricity needs. On many of the days through the summer months there will be long periods where the facility will be operating solely from the energy generated from their roof top.

It doesn’t stop there for Premiere Kitchens either; when the site is exporting electricity a commercial agreement has been put in place to ‘share’ excess generation with other parts of the Markey Group helping achieve the group wide sustainability and cost reduction goals. The system is projected to pay for itself in approximately 3.4 years, before any capital allowance benefits are considered. By embracing solar energy, Markey Group has taken a significant step towards sustainability while reaping the economic advantages of reduced energy costs.

Key facts and predictions

999.99 kWp (2,439 panels) installed.
852,176 kWh units of energy produced per annum.
£197,230 projected first year income and savings.
30.1% projected first year return on capital invested, before capital allowance benefits.
4.86p/kWh - the equivalent forward purchase price of 19.6 million units of electricity over 25 years including estimated operating & maintenance costs.
176.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided per annum.
3.3 years - system payback before finance, tax and capital allowance and grant benefit.
£8,032,608 - a 25-year income and savings after indexation.
84% saving from solar PV electricity compared to grid supplied electricity at 30p/kWh.

Sound advice

“The installation of solar PV at our Premiere Kitchens’ facility proved to be not only essential for achieving our sustainability objectives but also instrumental in meeting our financial targets. Right from the early stages the Mypower team provided sound advice and consistently fulfilled their commitments, despite our feathered friends causing a delay in proceedings. Since installation completion 12 months ago the system has performed to Mypower’s projections and provided Markey Group as a whole with a fantastic source of ‘home grown’ clean low-cost energy. Thank you to the team at Mypower!”

Richard Markey, Markey Group