Client: Apple Growers Association Ltd

Main Contractor: Igloo Environmental Ltd

Solar Contractor: Igloo Environmental Ltd

Solar Panels: 800 x 250w = 200 kWp

 

Apple Growers Association (AGA) based in Lamberhurst Kent store fruit year round in industrial chillers for their farm members and overseas growers in readiness for it's distribution to major supermarkets their energy consumtption was very high and they sought a solution to reduce their electricity costs without having to commit to a large, upfront, financial outlay.

 

AGA aproached us for advice and we came up with the perfect solution.

 

We conducted a full assessment of the roofs, building structures and electrical network and carried out a thorough analysis of the onsite electricity consumption. We discussed the project with UK Power Networks, the loacal network operator, and were given approval to connect upto 200kW through the onsite transformer. We therefore proposed a 200kW system spread across 10 of the most suitable roofs.

 

We introduced AGA to one of our funding partners to tailor a solution. The result was a Combined Purchase Agreement (PPA), secured by way of a Lease over the airspace above the roofs. In exchange for AGA contributing approx 1/3 of the installation costs the funder would allow AGA to use 100% of the solar energy produced by the array, entirely free of charge for the next 20 years. At the end of that period the funder would transfer ownership of the array to AGA, again entirely free of charge.

 

We built & commissioned the array during the month of January 2015 and thanks to our standing with UK Power Networks they waived their usual requirement to witness test the system thus saving two weeks in the built-cycle and also saving AGA over £1000 in fees.