In continuing in its mission to decarbonise the built environment, lightweight commercial solar pioneer Solivus recently completed a major warehouse installation for Astute Electronics.
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• Lightweight solar pioneer completes latest warehouse project for Astute Electronics
• Set to generate approximately 30% of Astute Electronics’ current demand and generate hundreds of thousands of pounds in energy savings over the project lifetime
• As the UK’s untapped warehouse solar generation opportunity is estimated at 15GW

As one of the world’s leading electronics distribution, procurement and supply-chain management providers, 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.

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THE PROBLEM

In common with 40% of commercial premises, previous surveys had revealed that Astute Electronics’ standard metal-sheeted warehouse rooftop was not structurally capable of supporting the weight of conventional solar panels.

In the past two years, there’s been a shift in focus to meeting ESG targets in the commercial real estate sector. Incorporating renewable energy sources, such as solar power, enables the creation of clean energy on-site, reduces reliance on traditional energy sources, increases energy independence and cuts energy bills.

As of April 1, 2023, compliance with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) is essential for commercial property owners in the UK, to achieve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and avoid potential penalties.

MEES is implemented in the UK to enhance the energy efficiency of commercial property, and reduce carbon emissions, in order to meet climate change targets, such as the UK’s goal of achieving Net Zero by 2050. MEES standards are applicable to both residential and non-residential properties, ensuring such buildings meet minimum energy performance criteria.

The requirement for non-domestic landlords to obtain at least an EPC E rating (unless they have registered a valid exemption), now applies to all non-domestic rented properties, even when there has been no change in tenancy. Failure to meet such requirements could result in a fine of up to £150,000 per building.

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THE SOLUTION

Fortunately, Solivus had the answer with its ultra-lightweight commercial solar system. Leveraging the latest advances in technology, Solivus’ rooftop solar solutions are a fraction of the weight of conventional panels, 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 most warehouses – most noteably avoiding the need to penetrate the roof.

Working in close partnership with the Astute Electronics team, Solivus was able to deliver a simple, fast and complete end-to-end solution; from system design and planning through to finance, installation and ongoing maintenance.
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THE OUTCOME

Now complete, the installation has seen over 360 solar panels mounted on, the rooftop, resulting in a total installed capacity of 154.8 KwP and a declared net capacity of 110KwP.

The installation is set to generate approximately 30% of Astute Electronics’ current demand, converting sunlight into hundreds of thousands of pounds in energy cost savings over the project lifetime. It will also 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.

As a further big benefit, Solivus’ solar solution, being incredibly fast and easy to install thanks to its light and flexible properties, negated the need for any costly disruption so the busy warehouse could continue to operate ‘business as usual’ internally during the install.

Mark Shanley, Sales and Marketing Director at Astute Electronics, comments:

“Astute has a knack for working with cutting-edge products. 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.”

Interestingly, 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

Solivus CEO, Jo Parker-Swift says: “We are incredibly proud of this project. It will support Astute in not only saving significant amounts in energy bill reductions, but ensure energy availability and enhance carbon reduction efforts.

Looking to the wider warehouse and distribution sector, our hope is that this project will also provide a tangible demonstration of the vast sustainability and cost-saving benefits to be had by embracing the clean energy transition in the commercial building market.

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There are over 420,000 warehouses in the UK², meaning billions of square feet of rooftop space ideal for hosting panels. If fully utilised these spaces could not only produce much of the sector’s electricity use but create new revenue opportunities through trading. Amid the increasing viability of onsite renewable energy and the sheer scale of untapped rooftop space in the sector, there is a clear first-mover advantage for those that do.”

Chief Executive of the UK Warehousing Association, Clare Bottle says: “Since the publication of our landmark report in 2022, UKWA has been consistently campaigning for the sector to embrace rooftop solar power, so it is fantastic to see Astute Electronics leading the way with the completion of this significant solar power installation by Solivus.

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.”

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Notes:

¹ https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/uk_warehouses_could_create_up_to_25gwp_of_solar_according_to_report/

² https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-uks-warehouse-industry-oh-logistics