Left to right: Caius Neale (Design Engineer), James Towell (Design Engineer), David Woon (Engineering Design Manager).
Reflecting on our time at Solar and Storage, last month…
At Ennovus Solutions, our vision is ‘to be the most trusted partner in leading the evolution of organisations to a Net Zero world, using the latest technologies’, and as such we couldn’t miss the opportunity of attending Solar and Storage Live UK 2024 to speak with some of the 25,000 attendees and more than 500 exhibitors across the three days.
The conference brought together manufacturers, distributors, installers, site works providers, as well as many other key stakeholders from across the renewables industry, who all share the same common goal of driving the change to a more sustainable world.
Throughout the exhibition floor, there was a sense of positivity for the industry, with module pricing still trending downwards, a growing focus on technologies specifically designed for the commercial and industrial sectors, and of course a new government who are aiming to accelerate a planning reform and improve the grid infrastructure in years to come.
Equipment Manufacturers
The conference provided Ennovus Solutions with an opportunity to speak with our existing network as well as introducing ourselves to some new faces across the industry. Speaking with module, inverter, battery storage, switchgear, and cable manufacturers, the team were keen to not only delve into the product specifications, but also extended the conversations to understand the manufacturers’ ESG policy, supply chain traceability, and their own net zero goals.
Understanding the supply chain for various manufacturers of the key equipment within a solar PV array, gives confidence that the solutions that we are providing to our clients, not only aligns with their carbon reduction, OPEX savings, and grid independence targets, but also aligns with their social and ethical policies.
Whilst speaking to manufacturers, we were also keen to understand their future pipeline and any technology advancements, which can be incorporated into our designs to improve the system output, safety, and longevity of the asset. By having these conversations with manufacturers, we ensure that we are utilising the latest technology to deliver the most optimal solution to each site.
Grid Connections
It has been widely documented and continually voiced that one of the biggest challenges within the industry is our National Grid. The UK is moving to a more distributed energy structure with significant electrification across the country. This has put more strain on the National Grid, which has left some projects facing connection dates as far into the future as 2032 and beyond.
There were several talks which addressed this issue and there was a constant buzz at the conference around the government’s aim to make this a key target area in the drive to net zero, how various DNOs are aiming to help accelerate the process, and how systems can be designed to alleviate the strain on the grid and avoid lengthy connection dates.
Operation and Maintenance
Commercial solar panel systems are always talked about as a 25+ year asset, with a significant emphasis around longevity being placed on the equipment selection. However, significant consideration during the early design phase should also be placed on the ongoing operation and maintenance of a system.
Proactive conversations were had with permanent fall protection providers to understand their supply and installation services along with their full product range, so that we can always offer the latest available technologies within our full turnkey package.
Including permanent fall protection, will only marginally increase the overall CAPEX price, but it can significantly reduce the overall OPEX spend during the ongoing O&M over the 25+ year asset lifetime.
Our Engineering Design Manager, David, also attended a talk dedicated to ‘maximising the lifespan of commercial solar PV systems’, which re-iterated a lot of the key elements that the Ennovus Solutions team already consider from an early stage within the lifecycle of the project. These include:
- The number of connection points within a system.
- The level of system shutdown, e.g. inverter, string, or module.
- The location of equipment and ease of safe access.
- Utilising irradiance sensors and pyranometers in tandem to the performance monitoring platform to trigger module cleaning.
- The equipment lifespan, warranty, maintenance, and the possibility for equipment repair rather than replacement.
Until Solar & Storage Live UK 2025
There was plenty of key takeaways from the show, with existing partnerships strengthened, new and exciting connections made, and a feeling of inspiration for the outlook for the industry. Thank you to everyone who we met at the show, to those that we’ve had follow up calls with, and most of all to Solar & Storage Live for putting on such a great event.
For enquires and more information about renewable energy, reach out to Ennovus Solutions. To contact us, call 0116 234 6190, fill out an enquiry form or send us a message via webchat.
