Stepnell Solar Parks 2011 case study

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West Midlands based Stepnell, in partnership with midlands company Wirsol Solar UK Limited have built and commissioned 4 ‘Solar Parks’ in the UK in 2011. Each ‘Solar Park’ is rated at 5 megawatts and together account for 20% of the solar parks built nationally last year.

The ‘Solar Parks’ are located in Islip, East Northamptonshire, Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire, Fryingdown, Hampshire and Five Oaks, East Sussex. Each ‘Solar Park’ is constructed on a secure site of approximately 40 acres, which accommodate around 20,000 photovoltaic panels fitted to steel / aluminium lattice framework which is supported on more than 4,000 driven post foundations.

The panels are grouped into ‘tables’ which connect to inverters that convert DC current generated from sunlight into AC current which then feeds through transformers into the national grid. Individually, each ‘Park’ can generate about 4,500,000kWh per annum which is enough zero carbon electricity to power 1,350 homes.

Stepnell provided the project finance and undertook the role of Project Management and Principal Contractor.

Steel / Aluminium lattice framework

The use of collaboration and integration techniques to better co-ordinate the programme of the panel and frame fitters with the trenching for the underground DC electric cable.

Driven post foundations

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From completion of detailed design each ‘Park’ took around 10 weeks to construct and commission, peaking at three lorry loads of photovoltaic panels per day and an average construction spend of £1.2m per week per park.

The ‘Solar Parks’ projects demonstrate the application of the three principles for sustainable development:

Economic

Stepnell’s injection of project finance was critical in securing significant inward investment of £48m into the UK’s zero carbon energy generating infrastructure because, at the time, the UK and European banks were exercising extreme caution in reaction to on-going uncertainty in the Eurozone. The company’s ability to assess the project risks and its confidence in its own abilities to construct and deliver the ‘Parks’ meant that project finance could be provided within the limited time frame created by the Government’s

sudden proposed changes to the ‘Feed-in-Tariffs’, when other avenues of project financing could not.

In December 2011 the robustness of the business model for the ‘Parks’ was independently verified through the exacting process of due diligence carried out by RBS who re-financed £26m for two of the completed ‘Solar Parks’. This emerging expertise on ‘Solar Park’ development is now centred in the West Midlands and it provides optimism for future work and employment for the region as electricity prices are predicted to continue to rise and the cost of photovoltaic panels come down.

Andrew Buglass, Head of Energy, Structured Finance at RBS commented “We are delighted to support this project, this is a significant deal for RBS…. I feel that there are a lot of opportunities for UK solar projects under the Renewables Obligation.”

For the PV panels alone, approximately 48 lorry loads, per park, were needed – Up to three deliveries per day!

Photovoltaic Panel being delivered to site

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Social

Stepnell’s corporate and social responsibilities have been demonstrated through the projects contribution to the UK’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and by the employment opportunity and future security they have afforded. Recognition of the national importance of these developments was evident in the support of the four Local Authorities through the expedient granting of planning consents without challenge or appeal, in stark contrast to recent controversies over ‘Wind Farms’.

The facts and details of the projects have been shared with pupils of the

Eco Schools Group at Whitecross High School which was built by Stepnell’s under a PFI contract and where Stepnell invested last year in the School’s own solar panel installation.

The opportunity and expertise required provided for the creation of new skills for operatives and staff. The necessary MCS accreditation has led to the up skilling of the workforce and leaves a legacy of increased value of individual employees.

The commercial success of the project and the application of Continuous Improvement techniques in identifying Best Practice has meant that further improvements in delivery have

been achieved which secures the viability of future schemes. An example of this approach during this project was the use of collaboration and integration techniques to better co-ordinate the programme of the panel and frame fitters with the trenching for the underground DC electric cable which did not follow the same layout as the panels but required the most direct access to the inverters.

PV Installation at Whitecross School

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Environment

The four ‘Solar Parks’ are together estimated to generate 18,000,000kWh of zero carbon electricity per annum enough to power more than 5,000 homes, equal to the number of households in the ward of Castle Bromwich.

Concentration of investment into large scale solar infrastructure is a more efficient in reducing carbon emissions than the same investment in small scale domestic installations.

Taking a typical domestic photovoltaic system sized at 2.4KW and an installed price of £3,000 per KW it would require a further £14m (+30%) to deliver the same

tonnage of CO2 savings through domestic scale installations.

Centralised infrastructure is also more efficient in terms of procurement with design proposals and decisions only required for 4 sites rather than 8,500 domestic scale installations to match the CO2 saving.

The ‘Solar Parks’ have demonstrated that there is low carbon energy infrastructure that has less controversial impact on the countryside than wind turbines. The use of farmland has not been lost, as the land is rented from the Farmer who continues to graze sheep around the panels.

The Parks will reduce carbon emissions by at least 9,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, the equivalent in volume terms represented by 1,825 Hot Air Balloons.

The ward of Castle Bromwich

10 3020 40

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

Centralised Infrastructure

£M Investment

Tonnes ofC02 ReductionPer Annum

50

10,000

Domestic Scale Installations

9,300 T

7,400 T

Additional 26%

Zero Carbon Solar Energy GenerationC02 Reduction Per Annum

Centralised Vs Domestic Infrastructure

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A Sustainable Legacy

The ‘Solar Parks’ have a design life of more than 30 years with very low maintenance requirements and consequently a much lower whole life cost when compared with other forms of zero carbon energy production. The commercial arrangements are fixed with the Feed-In-Tariffs and provide a secure index linked income stream for 25 years. In the same period the

‘Parks’ will produce 450million kWh of zero carbon electricity and save 225,000 tonnes of CO2.

Through the courage and capability of the partnership necessary to deliver the ‘Solar Parks’, a centre of expert knowledge in the development of large scale solar energy infrastructure has been created in the West Midlands. Peter Davies, Wirsol UK Managing Director, declared “As ever, success

demands team work and we have achieved ours this year with great partners.”

The success of the technological solution and continuing improvement in the process of delivery has also ensured the viability of future schemes planned for 2012.

Watch the time lapse video of the Islip Solar Park in construction at our YouTube page here

Fryingdown Solar Park

Stepnell Ltd. Stepnell House, Lawford Road, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 2UU Tel: 01788 574511 Fax: 01788 541364info@stepnell.co.uk www.stepnell.co.uk