We’re live and generating!
For the past year we’ve been working tirelessly on our self-designed renewable energy system to replace the way we power and heat our own 50+ year old, non-insulated building.
In the two short months of 2023, both our wind turbine and our solar panels have became fully operational - meaning they are now both generating energy!
Wind Turbine
First up, we switched on our 7.5kW wind turbine.
The 15m tall turbine was first hoisted into position by a team of engineers from CWTS Scotland back in November last year.
A few short months later and we were ready to switch off power to our building, allowing us to carry out the finishing touches of the installation process.
Our existing mains distribution board was removed and replaced, and the connection to the G99 isolation panel was completed, ensuring the system can be isolated from the main grid when necessary in future.
Solar Panels
The following week it was the turn of our 30kW solar system.
The system consists of 75 Perlight Delta solar panels, installed on custom built mounting frames on the roof of the APD building.
Each frame holds two 400W panels in landscape format, pitched at 35 degrees and arranged to face due south, in rows that maximise the available space but are far apart enough to avoid casting shadows on each other.
This system includes technology that makes it unlike your standard PV system installation. From power optimisers that safeguard the generation of the entire array, even when one panel fails; to an innovative energy insights system that is continually capturing information that allows us to monitor our energy generation versus our energy consumption in real-time.
The solar panels are now fully operational following a day of final checks to ensure the system was commissioned correctly. Just in time for the lighter nights and (hopefully) sunnier spring days. With that said, these clever panels can generate energy even on a cloudy day, which is handy when they are relying on the infamous Scottish weather!
The Results / Energy Insights System
In tandem to the commissioning of both our solar array and our wind turbine, we’ve also fitted a Centrica energy insights system consisting of 10 sensors that are now continually monitoring both our energy production and consumption in real-time.
In the wind turbine’s first day, the Annan area saw particularly windy conditions which resulted in just under 60kWh of energy generation. In simple terms, this is the equivalent of enough energy to power 7 average UK households for a whole day - not bad for day one!
We’ve also seen several periods of time where the solar panels have been generating more than the offices and workshops are consuming, which is encouraging given the daylight hours are only going to lengthen as we move into spring.
What’s Next?
Next on our to-do list is the incorporation of the battery storage system – The Pixii Powershaper. This will allow us to store any surplus energy we generate.
For regular updates on our project, head over to www.apd.energy