Are Your Commercial Solar Panels Under-Performing ?
Depending on the age of your commercial solar system you may have unreliable monitoring or limited reporting information from your provider. While this is useful for evaluating the financial performance of your system, it is less useful for finding techncal faults. We recommend using SolarEdge to monitor your system as it provides real-time date.
How Do I Know If My Solar Panels Are Working Correctly ?
Check your generation meter once a week and keep a record of the readings. Your meter should record the energy generated each day, even in dull weather. Over a period of time you should see an average days generation and have a feel for what your system should be producing.
Install A Realtime Monitor Based System
Monitoring your PV system with a realtime monitor to record your production and check for faults. A SolarEdge monitor will record and provide you with real time statistics and highlight any faults that may arise.
The SolarEdge PV Monitoring Portal is a web-based application that provides module-level, string-level and system-wide monitoring. The solar monitoring software provides enhanced maintenance of PV systems and yield assurance. The portal automatically provides alerts for accurate and immediate fault detection, localized on a virtual site map for on-site and remote troubleshooting at the module level. Module performance is communicated across existing power lines, so no extra wiring is required.
Professional Maintenance & Cleaning
Regularly maintaining your solar system will increase your energy production. Our professional teams perform full electrical testing as well as cleaning the panels. With regular visits, we will ensure your system is performing to 100% of its capability and maximising returns for our clients. Should an issue arise, we can react quickly to resolving the problem and provide you with continued energy savings. Our expert teams can install replacement parts under warranty and even provide upgraded products with greater benefits to you.
Single String Inverter
A typical problem we see regularly are older systems that have been installed with string inverters that lower the output of all the panels to match the level of the lowest performing panel.
Simple shading, damage or soiling to one of the panels can cause a domino effect to all the other panels.
Simple shading, damage or soiling to one of the panels can cause a domino effect to all the other panels.
How Can We Boost Our Solar Panels Performance ?
SolarEdge Inverters And Power Optimisation
One of the biggest limitations with a standard inverter is they linked in series. If one panel fails or is partially shaded this has the effect of reducing the power output across the whole row or string. SolarEdge inverters prevent this issue from occurring by using a power optimiser on each solar panel so each panel is separate from each other.Monitor Your System Direct From Your Tablet, Phone Or PC
SolarEdge cloud monitoring provides enhanced PV performance monitoring and yield assurance through immediate fault detection and alerts at module level, string level and system level. No hardware or wiring is required to transmit data from the power optimisers to the inverter. The monitoring sensors and transmitters are built into the SolarEdge power optimiser and solar inverter, and measurement data is transmitted over regular power lines.SolarEdge Safe DC
Probably the biggest benefit to SolarEdge is their fire safety capability, The SafeDC feature is a fail-safe mechanism ensuring voltage automatically drops to a safe 1 volt level as soon as the inverter and / or grid is shut down.The SolarEdge system depends on the inverter constantly telling the power optimiser behind each module to let the power through and send it down to the inverter. If the inverter is turned off the optimisers stop receiving the signal and cut the majority of the power on the roof down to 1 volt.
SolarEdge Case Studies
New Life Church
Empower Energy was commissioned by New Life Church to investigate why their system was under-performing. A retrofit solution was recommended, this included appropriate electrical testing and the SolarEdge SafeDC System.
Key Facts
Installed August 2017Size 50 KWp
Inverter SolarEdge SE25KW inverter
Optimiser SolarEdge P600 optimisers
Basingstoke Fire Station
Empower Energy was commissioned by Hampshire County Council to design and install a 16.8 KWp Solar PV system on Cranleigh Paddock, Lyndhurst. The solar installation will help the business to save at least £3,328 a year in income and electricity savings. It will also reduce 12,575 kg of carbon footprint a year.
Key Facts
Installed July 2017Size 24.84 KWp
Panels Used Panel Solarworld
Inverter SolarEdge
Projected Output 20,959 KWH
CO2 Reduction 12,575 Kg / year
Annual Savings £3,328
Ampress Park G1
Empower Energy was commissioned by Westfield Properies Ltd to install a 30KW solar PV system on their new site. It is designed with SolarEdge technolgy to maximise energy output, each optimiser is designed to automatically shutdown each panel for maximum safety in case of an emergency.
Key Facts
Installed May 2017Size 30 KWp
Panels Used Panel Solarworld
Inverter SolarEdge
Projected Output 30,593 KWH
CO2 Reduction 18,356 Kg / year
Annual Savings £5,506
Pearce Compaction
Empower Energy installed 30KW in Pearce Compaction system located in Verwood. The installation was made possible thanks to grant funding from the Green Business Fund, who provide grants of up to £10,000 per company.
Key Facts
Installed June 2017Size 30 KWp
Panels Used Canadian Solar
Inverter SolarEdge
Projected Output 31, 282 KWH
Annual Savings £4, 339
Total Income Over 20 Years £116,549
BIC, Bournemouth
Empower Energy are delighted to announce one of our largest flat roof top solar installations in Bournemouth. Empower Energy designed a solar system with this in mind taking into account that the BIC had already taken steps to install solar thermal for their hot water requirements.
Key Facts
Installed Nov 2015Size 250 KWp
Panels Used Sunedison
Inverter SolarEdge
Projected Output 249,664 KWH
Annual Savings £45,909
Cranleigh Paddock
Empower Energy was commissioned was commissioned by Hampshire County Council to design and install a 16.8 KWp Solar PV system on Cranleigh Paddock, Lyndhurst. The solar installation will help the business to save at least £2,716 a year in income and electricity savings. It will also reduce 10,494Kg of carbon footprint a year.
Key Facts
Installed July 2017Size 16.8 KWp
Panels Used Panel Solarworld
Inverter SolarEdge
Projected Output 17,450 KWH
CO2 Reduction £10,490 Kg / year
Annual Savings £2,716