Wilfred Maddocks has cut its energy bills and lowered its carbon footprint by adding solar panels to its dairy unit roof, with the aid of mounting system technology from TRITEC UK.
The busy farm, based in Newport, Shropshire, identified solar power as a means to protect itself from energy price rises, while also reducing its environmental impact. During construction of a new dairy complex, Wilfred Maddocks chose to install a 99.9kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system on its south-east-facing corrugated fibre cement roof using a TRITEC mounting system.
On-time and on-budget
Wilfred Maddocks was keen to take advantage of the government’s Feed-In Tariff subsidy for clean energy and open up a new revenue stream, driving down its on-site energy costs. However, it was imperative that the project came in on-time and on-budget.
For this reason, Wilfred Maddocks took advantage of cutting-edge technology to reduce installation time and ensure that any future maintenance works would be kept to a minimum. The farm selected a high-quality, long-lasting TRI-STAND mounting system from TRITEC for its solar PV array, which was installed by The Green Electrician Group Ltd, a UK installer and supplier of renewable energy systems.
“The whole installation process was very smooth at the Wilfred Maddocks dairy unit, with the TRITEC technology helping to ensure a hassle-free project,” comments Rupert Higgin, Managing Director of The Green Electrician Group. “The client was very impressed by both the appearance of the solar installation and how well it has been able to deliver clean energy.”
Clean energy, carbon savings
The Green Electrician Group calculates that the farm will generate 79,440 kWh of clean electricity every year, achieving an annual saving of 43.2 tonnes of CO2. The installation has been projected to pay for itself in 9 years. However, the farm exceeded its projections by 19.59% in 2011 and 15.95% in 2012, meaning the system is on track for a shorter payback period.
“Agriculture is a growing area for small-scale generation of solar power,” comments Steve Griffiths, Sales and Marketing Director at TRITEC UK. “Farmers are in a unique position to turn their farm buildings into mini power stations, capturing renewable energy from the sun. For Wilfred Maddocks, the decision to invest in solar power has been a highly successful one, protecting the farm against future energy price rises and making a positive impact on the planet.”
