Challenge
The portfolio developer, Land Securities, approached us to help retrofit solar PV to its properties at Gunwharf Quays, the popular shopping and leisure destination in Portsmouth. It’s one of the company’s biggest assets in the UK and in a prime, seafront location on the south coast, and the ideal place for the company to choose to demonstrate its commitment to the environment. It intended to do so by creating a sustainable energy supply for the whole shopping centre that would provide reliable source of green power to fuel their operations. We were asked to help it achieve this goal by installing a 249 kWp system, made up of 892 Trina Solar PV panels, on the top of their flagship building.
Our Resolution
Before the installation could start, the portfolio developer’s multi-discipline commercial engineering team identified every possible project challenge that could arise, and so we worked with the client to find solutions. Because the roof at Gunwharf Quays wasn’t strong enough to bear any significant extra load, the team designed an innovative, lightweight mounting frame with mechanical fixings that would prevent the roof from being overloaded.
The client’s biggest priority was to ensure that the busy shopping centre’s day-to-day business wasn’t affected. So, we made sure this didn’t happen by organising all deliveries to site, crane activity and other ground level activity out-of-hours.
The Result
The system was completed during the wettest summer ever recorded, making on-site conditions less than ideal. Still, all work was carried out with the greatest of care, adhering to health and safety at all times, which was especially important on this site as it’s primarily used by members of the public.
The install team battled high winds and downpours to complete the array in time and on budget for a satisfied client. The panels now generate 200,807 kWhs of electricity each year, saving Land Securities more than 106 tonnes in CO2 emissions. This will reduce the impact of their operations on the environment, meaning that the wider community can benefit from cleaner energy for many years to come.