John A Stephens

As a forward-thinking builders’ merchant, John A Stephens sought to extend their current solar PV system in preparation of the arrival of their electric forklifts and large delivery lorries. The anticipation of an increased energy demand led to the investment in this project. Now, their new Smart Grid system will be able to increase their level of carbon savings and reduce their energy expenditure.

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Building merchant's roof equipped with solar panels

K e y S t a t s

System Size

270kWp

Transformer Size

1500kVa

Annual Output

211,410

Challenge

John A Stephens approached us to install a fully integrated solar PV and Smart Grid system at their builder merchant site in Nottingham. As a local and family-owned business similar us, a partnership between the two companies came naturally.

Specifically, the need for this project arose from the company’s decarbonisation investment in electric forklifts and delivery lorries which will significantly increase the site’s energy demands in the future.

Following on from our initial 100kWp solar PV installation at the site in 2010, which was at the time, the largest rooftop solar PV system in the UK, we were commissioned again to install an additional 269kWp and Smart Grid on their rooftop.

Solution

As the site’s buildings are separated across a major road, this project required our team to devise an innovative solution to combine the site’s electricity supply into one HV metred connection where all power is generated and consumed under one metred supply.

To achieve this, we found a new location for the substation, 1500kVA transformer and 2000 Amp LV distribution board, working closely with Western Power Distribution to finalise the kit and connections. In order to ensure system integrity, we effectively created a separate electrical plant room for the inverters, transformers and LV switchboard with a dedicated glass re-enforced plastic.

The results of our full consultative process indicated that the site would hugely benefit from the addition of our Smart Grid technology as it would allow for a much more efficient distribution of energy throughout the site, leading to lower energy expenditure and greater carbon savings.

Result

Now complete, the site owners can log into their dedicated portal to view the level of energy generated and how it is distributed throughout the site. Going forward, our team will maintain the system for the client, ensuring optimal performance.

As a result of this system, the site now has an additional source of revenue as 72.84% will be exported back to the grid at a rate of 14.5p. This, in addition to their carbon savings of 1,222,464kgCO2e over 25 years means that our system will support the builders’ merchant on achieving both their financial and environmental objectives.

This demonstrates what can be achieved when two companies with similar values come together to overcome challenges and obstacles. It is an exemplar project of repeat business from a current client, illustrating the stellar relationship we have with the companies we work with.

Roof-installed solar panels at the building merchant's site

Solar panels installed on the roof of a building merchant

Roof-mounted solar panels at a building merchant

Solar panels on the roof of a building merchant

Solar panels adorning the roof of a building merchant

High-voltage and low-voltage infrastructure at a building merchant

electric forklift at a building merchant.

HV LV instrastructure at a buildings merchant

"John A Stephens were already benefitting from a 100kW solar PV array, but the opportunity to utilise our additional roof space to add a further 160kW represented a significant opportunity both to increase of solar generated power – to meet around 80% of the nominal site load, but also for the first time to enable us to take advantage of the ability to export against favourable tariffs and thus significantly shorten the return on investment period.

Alongside this Evo also managed the very significant upgrading of our site power incomer from 80KvA to 500KvA, which involved the installation of an entirely new substation on-site.

John A Stephens and Evo Energy benefitted from a long-standing relationship of over 10 years from the successful installation of the existing PV array on part of our main office / warehouse roof.

Evo project managed the surprisingly complex Solar PV project extremely well, as well as seamlessly working alongside and managing our other contract partners jointly carrying out the complex upgrade of the site power incomer to 500kVA, which required excellent project and stakeholder communication and management as it had to be carried out whilst the business was still operating normally and experiencing some extremely busy trading periods as well as increased material deliveries.

Evo have again proven to be an excellent partner for John A Stephens and we look forward to working with them on our future energy projects."

Chris Turner, Operations Director

Construction

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