Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Review

Supporting the UK MOD’s sustainability ambition to contribute towards the UK’s 2050 Net Zero target by scaling up the transition to renewables.

To discuss how we can help you with similar challenges please contact Mark Ellis.

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The Problem

The client’s sustainability strategy aimed to contribute towards the UK’s 2050 Net Zero target by scaling up the transition to renewables.
In addition, there was a significant Opex challenge due to the rising cost of energy purchases.
As part of overall sustainability approach, a pilot project deployed ground mounted MW scale solar PV at four locations.
4C conducted a review of one of the pilot project sites from cost, carbon reduction and return on investment perspectives.
Our brief was to evaluate whether the deployed project size was optimised to the department’s carbon reduction and financial objectives and to identify insights and recommendations for the scaling of the Solar PV programme.

We gathered all relevant energy and site data, including energy consumption, spend, distribution and transmission costs and site luminosity.
Data was used to model the ‘best fit’ solar project for the site, to maximise return on investment.
The 4C team found that the best fit solar project for this site would have been 30% smaller than the actual project deployed. These learnings presented the potential to add £3.2m per annum to solar revenue (shortening payback by years) and 2000 additional tonnes of CO2 saved per year.

The client and key stakeholders gained a deeper understanding of the sensitivity of Solar project commercials to project size.
Our work now has the potential to influence the size and shape of the solar deployment ‘at scale’, reducing environmental impact and promote sustainable practices.
Projected savings in excess of £3.2m per annum against the client’s energy bill were identified.