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Case Study:
Delaney Mackay Lewis Ltd, Gloucester

Delaney Mackay Lewis Ltd

247.95 kWp (870 panel) installation

Tenants supplied with clean renewable energy from solar PV

Goodridge Business Park is home to a number of commercial units owned by Delaney Mackay Lewis Ltd. As a part of their refurbishment programme, Delaney Mackay Lewis were looking to make the site as attractive as possible to potential tenants, which included improving its environmental credentials. Solar PV hit the mark in this respect, as well proving to be commercially attractive. Mypower was selected after a competitive tender process, as we offered the best technical solution at a competitive price, and were able to commit to the tight refurbishment timescales.

Seagulls, skylights and easy access

The principles of the project were straightforward, but there were a number of challenges to be overcome.  Firstly, given the nature and age of the roof, and the number of obstacles it contained, a solution was needed to ensure the safety of Mypower's installation team, and to acquire accurate measurements for the design and installation. Safety netting was installed to protect against accidental fall through the fragile skylights (fortunately, this was never tested!) and a drone was utilised to accurately survey the large roof area. 

Another challenge was the local seagull population, and the associated issues with bird guano and nesting which might impact on solar generation. One element of the solution was to install a SolarEdge inverter and optimiser system, limiting the impact of a nesting or guano issue to a pair of panels, rather than a whole string. It would also provide detailed monitoring to identify an issue as and when it might arise.

Another consideration was the ongoing maintenance of the system, and the costs associated with accessing a roof of this size. Mypower proposed the installation of an on-roof access and fall-safe system, plus a slight redesign of the PV layout to allow for all areas of the array to be accessed safely. This would avoid incurring costly access charges for future maintenance and solar panel cleaning.

Delaney Mackay Lewis Ltd, Gloucester
Delaney Mackay Lewis Ltd, Gloucester

Key facts and predictions with no subsidy or grants:

  • 247.95 kW (870 panels) - installed by Mypower.
  • 219,603 kWh - units of energy produced per annum.
  • £21,962 - projected first year income and savings assuming  70% of electricity used on site.
  • 12.9% - projected first year return on capital invested, before capital allowance benefits.
  • 4.85 p/kwh - equivalent forward-purchase price of approximately 5 million units of electricity over 25 years including estimated Operating & Maintenance costs.
  • 72.5 tonnes - CO2 emissions avoided per annum.
  • 7.7 years - system payback before finance, tax and capital allowance benefits.    
  • 60% saving - from solar PV electricity compared to grid supplied electricity at 11.93 p/kWh.
  • In the first 9 months of operation, the system produced 127,654 kWh, over 5% more than Mypower's predictions.
 

A business park fit for the 21st Century

The system will generate an estimated 220,000kWh of clean, low cost electricity per annum. It produced 127,654 kWh in its first 9 months, and with the peak generation months of May, June and July still to come, the system was well on target to meet its predicted annual generation. The installation will help the tenants avoid over 72 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum.

The businesses in the refurbished building are not the only ones to benefit as the system is connected to the supplies of six further units on the business park. This reduces the amount of locally generated renewable electricity that is sent to the grid, and makes the business park that little bit greener. 

Delaney Mackay Lewis have successfully transformed Goodridge Business Park, providing local businesses with access to locally generated renewable energy and significantly reducing their carbon footprint. In our view, this makes it a business park fit for the 21st Century!

Delaney Mackay Lewis Ltd, Gloucester

Delivering the project on time

"We undertook a formal tender process in which we received five proposals. Mypower was selected for their use of technology and competitive pricing. We set a tight timescale of only 8 weeks for Mypower to install and commission the PV system. The Mypower team and their sub-contractors worked very well together on the design and installation of the system, providing a complete package. The age of the roof and requirement to avoid covering the many rooflights presented challenges which were overcome by Mypower through detailed design. I found the team to be very hands-on and committed to delivering the project on time. I would definitely recommend Mypower to any other business thinking of improving their carbon footprint and reducing their fixed costs" 

Peter Mackay-Lewis, Chartered Surveyor and Director - Delaney Mackay Lewis Ltd

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