News Article
1.6 MW Solar Array Grid Connected In UK
SOLON SE has grid connected a 1.6 MW solar power plant on a former military airfield at Westcott Venture Park, Buckinghamshire. SOLON had been appointed by Rockspring Property Investment Managers to construct and deliver the turnkey solar park. Additionally, as a result of the contracts negotiated by Heatons LLP, SOLON will undertake the solar park's operation and maintenance for at least five years. Earlier in the year, from May to June, SOLON constructed a Phase 1 array totalling 415 kW. In Phase II, from August it has been extended to 1.6 MW and grid connected in time to achieve the benefit of the original feed-in tariff as British FiT for large scale ground-based solar parks had been reduced in August by over 70 %. However, some projects which have been extended and grid connected before mid-October, have been able to feed in under the old conditions.
Westcott Venture Park now has more than 6.000 SOLON Blue 270/11 (275Wp) modules installed, enabling the businesses to draw electricity from a renewable source. For operation and maintenance, the monitoring system "˜SOLON Vega' is being used to deliver data to the client on their solar power plant's current performance, remotely or available in real-time directly on their computer.
"We actually managed to complete the 1.6 MW power plant quicker than planned", says Richard Johnson, UK Country Manager for SOLON SE. "as a result the customer managed to benefit from the record sunshine at the end of September!"
Rod Mordey, European Director of Rockspring said that he was delighted with Solon's achievement by completing the initial construction and the subsequent extension prior to the rapidly changing deadlines imposed by the UK Government. "Solon's ability to competently programme the development and then achieve that programme has enabled Rockspring to have, not only the first UK solar park, but also the longest - as the development covers a former runway of 1.2 km."