Kernock Park Plants
Continuous powering, continuous growth
Kernock Park Plants is an innovative young plant producer based in Cornwall. The business delivers young plants to over a thousand customers within the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe, and is fully committed to best environmental practise and sustainability. It utilises a range of methods to reduce its carbon footprint and need for harmful pesticide i.e. biomass, solar, recycled packaging and integrated pest management (IPM). Kernock currently consume over 900,000 units of electricity per annum.
Early adopter
In 2011, Kernock Park Plants had its first solar PV system installed by Mypower. It was 9.87kW in size, generating an estimated 9,034kWh of electricity per annum at a capital cost of around £34,000. Kernock Plants certainly saw the benefits provided by their own solar PV system, and invested again in 2013 with another 9.87kWp system, followed by a much larger 100kW system in 2014.
Key facts and predictions
Figures represent September 2019 Post-FiT subsidy rates
- 94kW (330 QCells solar panels) with SolarEdge Optimisers installed by Mypower.
- 93,994 - units of energy produced per annum.
- £10,347 - projected first year income and savings assuming 65% of electricity is used on site.
- 12.0% - projected first year return on capital invested, before capital allowance benefits.
- 5.39p/kwh - equivalent forward purchase price including Operations & Maintenance costs.
- 31 tonnes - CO2 emissions avoided per annum.
- 8.4 years - system payback before finance, tax and capital allowance benefits - without subsidy.
- £536,300 - total projected income and savings over 25 years after indexation.
2019 - subsidy free
Fast forward to the summer of 2019, and Kernock Park Plants commissioned Mypower to install another large system, this time a 94kW system to generate a further 94,000kWh per annum. This system, which is utilising the premium SolarEdge technology, cost just over £86,000. This illustrates how far solar renewable technology has developed and the cost base reduced since 2011 - one of the main reasons why the Feed-in Tariff subsidy is no longer required. Kernock Park Plants have made a clear investment in their future. By the end of 2019 they will be sourcing nearly 20% of their energy requirements at about 1/3 of the price of electricity from the grid. At the same time, Kernock are also helping to take on climate change by avoiding 70 Tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.
Preserving the environment for future generations
As Kernock Park Plants’ business grew, they continued to invest in their future with low cost energy. This will remain fixed in price and their solar systems will provide energy for the next 25+ years. In addition, by investing in renewable technology, the business is taking direct action to preserve the beautiful environment which is adorned by their own flowery products.
A trusted partner
"With a future prediction of rising UK energy costs combined with our own rising costs, we decided in 2019, to install a further 94kW over our boiler house roof. Despite the end of the FiT, the payback remains at around 6-7 years after capital allowances, giving a similar ROI to previous installations with the FiT. On this occasion we did not seek other quotations but asked Mypower to take on the project because we can trust them to give the best advice at the most reasonable cost. Perhaps most importantly, they provide superb after-sales service should it become necessary."
Richard Harnett, Director - Kernock Park Plants
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