This week, EvoEnergy have begun work installing a 999.9 kWp solar PV system for DPD at their parcel distribution site – and company Headquarters – in Oldbury, West Midlands. With the installation to complete at the end of October before going in to testing, the DPD site will benefit from generating over 860 MWh of clean electricity every year, with 85% of the generation expected to be used onsite.
The busy site – named ‘Hub 3’ by DPD – is used for sorting and distributing regional parcels for both National and International delivery and once the system is live, will also be one of the greenest in the industry reducing the company’s carbon emissions by almost 400 tonnes every year. The decision to install solar PV at the site was driven by DPD’s interest in carbon neutral investment – one of the corner stones of their ‘Driving Change’ CSR strategy.
Over the next 6 weeks, 3,636 Trina 275W modules will be fixed on the large trapezoidal roof with a single point of access to the roof at the rear of the building to prevent any disruption to DPD’s operations during the installation.
With the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) imposing an export limitation of 500 kWp, EvoEnergy will install the system with a 499 kWp export limitation device preventing the system from exporting above this level at any time.
At the demand of DPD’s insurance company, the system has also been designed with SolarEdge technology that will not only optimise generation, but also implement arc fault protection that prevents the threat of fire by automatically reducing the voltage of the system to a safe level in the event of any issues. DPD have also taken advantage of purchasing an extended SolarEdge inverter warranty that will cover them for 25 years.
EvoEnergy were awarded the project due to their technical competence and track record for delivering similar projects in terms of scope, working to tight deadlines and ability to work with the DNO to provide solutions. Furthermore, EvoEnergy were also favoured due to their commercial stability, which is reinforced by the ownership of their parent company, Stepnell.
Peter Alder, Head of Sales & Marketing for EvoEnergy commented;
“Due to our experience in similar projects, we’re delighted to have secured this installation with a client that boasts an outstanding reputation in its industry. We’re looking forward to delivering an innovative solution that will hopefully lead to a long term relationship for additional projects.”