The innovative DC-optimised system, powered by SolarEdge, is expected to generate around 160MWh of electricity each year. This is forecast to offset approximately 50% off the site’s high energy use, saving over €50,000 annually. Payback is expected in less than three years.
The Spirit Motor Group is the retail division of OHM Group, which already has plans in place to install solar systems at eight additional locations. The group decided to invest in solar following a sharp rise in its electricity bills.
Gerard O’Farrell, Managing Director of Car Division at OHM Group, said: “With the motor industry transitioning from ICE to electric vehicles, our business needs have evolved. Our energy usage has gone up by 50% in the last two years alone, and we expect this increase to continue.
“Installing solar systems will not only support our increased electricity requirements for EV charging, but also underscores our commitment to sustainability. Through this project we’re hoping to set a new standard in the automotive industry.”
The solar plant at the Dublin facility comprises two separate arrays: 260 modules are installed on the Jaguar Land Rover showroom and a further 210 modules are sited on the new EV preparation centre workshop.
Tracking energy production and consumption in real time
Key to achieving such a rapid payback period was the company’s decision to use SolarEdge’s DC-optimised inverter technology. The solar system uses Power Optimisers attached to each pair of solar modules to maximise energy production by overcoming issues such as soiling, shading and module mismatch that can limit production in non-optimised systems.
The Power Optimisers also allow the monitoring system to provide highly-granular data on module and system performance – enabling OHM Group to track energy production and consumption across the two buildings and multiple EV charging stations in real-time.
To showcase its commitment to sustainability, the company has installed a live feed from the SolarEdge monitoring platform, enabling visitors to see how much energy is being generated by the system on the Jaguar Land Rover showroom, as well as the associated carbon offset.
Gerald added: “As the installation is a pilot for us, before we embark on further solar installations, we wanted to monitor the system closely. The SolarEdge solution has advanced inbuilt monitoring which enables us to identify and address any underperforming modules quickly, streamlining maintenance requirements and enabling us to maximise the uptime of the system.
“We are incredibly pleased with the results we’ve seen so far. During the summer months, daily generation peaked at more than 1MW on occasions and regularly exceeded 800 kW. Based on these results, we have already begun to plan the roll-out of solar systems on eight more of our showrooms, both at our Dublin site and others located throughout the country.”
Image credit: OHM Group