Published: 5 Jul 2021, 11:34
Millhouse Primary School in Basildon was one of the schools to receive the rooftop solar PV. Image: Solarwatt
A rooftop solar scheme commissioned for Essex County Council has seen Solarwatt supply complete PV systems for 15 primary school sites.
The German manufacturer was chosen after a tendering process, partnering with inverter manufacturer Fronius and mountings supplier Van Der Valk Solar Systems for the project.
Eco Energy Environment and Ceetech Electrical were the installation partners, with the project delivered in partnership with facilities management company Mitie.
The panels installed in the project are to produce an estimated annual 700,000kWh of electricity, helping the schools to cut their utility bills and lower their emissions. The panels feature two layers of toughened glass to protect the cells from outside ingression, with this de-risking operation.
The systems were installed and commissioned on schedule despite the COVID-19 lockdown, with the project funded by the Department for Education and the EU project Empower 2.0.
Neal Goddard, Solarwatt sales manager, UK and Ireland, said: “This project is close to our hearts as it helps show the next generation how solar energy can bring real change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil fuels with the power of the sun.”
In April, the company lauded the “exponential growth” in its sale numbers, announcing the appointment of Trevor Treleven as technical support and sales engineer. Following this, the company last month unveiled a new battery storage product developed in collaboration with BMW. The Solarwatt Battery Flex system can be expanded from 4.8KWh to 240kWh through the stacking of up to eight battery packs and creation of up to 10 clusters, with key benefits of the system being its small footprint and ease of installation.