Lightweight commercial solar pioneer Solivus recently completed a major warehouse installation for Astute Electronics from system design and planning through to finance, installation and ongoing maintenance..
As one of the world’s leading electronics distribution, procurement and supply-chain experts, Astute Electronics serves major customers across defence, aerospace, maritime, energy, and industrial sectors. As a Planet Mark accredited business with a progressive sustainability programme, there was a demand to leverage the significant clean energy generation opportunity afforded by its 1,524 square metre warehouse’s rooftop at its UK HQ in Hertfordshire.
In common with most commercial premises, however, previous surveys had revealed that the standard metal-sheeted warehouse rooftop was not structurally capable of supporting the weight of conventional solar panels.
Solivus had the answer with its ultra-lightweight commercial solar system, avoiding structural issues, planning restriction challenges, or compromised aesthetics. Importantly, it also affords more universal applications for fixing methods, helping to alleviate the challenges associated with installing rigid conventional solar panels on the corrugated roofs found amongst many warehouses – most notably avoiding the need to penetrate the roof.
Now complete, the installation has seen over 360 solar panels mounted on, the rooftop, resulting in a total installed capacity of 154.8kWp and a declared net capacity of 110kWp.
The installation is set to generate approximately 30% of Astute Electronics’ current demand will propel the business one step closer towards its net-zero goals, significantly reducing fossil fuel reliance and environmental impact. The installation is estimated to save just over 20 tonnes of carbon per year, and approximately 469 tonnes of carbon over its lifetime.
Mark Shanley, Sales and Marketing Director at Astute Electronics, comments, “We were impressed by Solivus and their innovative, lightweight systems, which can be fitted to the roof of our warehouse; space we previously thought was unusable. With Astute’s focus on energy independence and net zero focus, we’re looking forward to reaping both environmental and sustainability benefits over the next five years and beyond.”
This comes as a recent analysis estimates that unused rooftops on UK warehouses total 165 million m2, the equivalent of 30,834 football fields, with a potential solar capacity of around 25GWp.1
Chief Executive of the UK Warehousing Association, Clare Bottle says: “Warehouses account for a third of UK commercial roof space, yet currently only 5% of warehouses have solar panels on their rooftops. If more companies follow in these footsteps, there is an opportunity for the warehousing sector to reduce emissions by 2 million tonnes of CO2 per year, deliver annual savings on electricity costs of up to £3bn, and contribute half of the solar power required by the whole of the UK to achieve net zero targets.”
