Early last year, solar innovators, Solivus completed the installation of a lightweight solar system on the roof of the Lynn Wilson Centre at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club (NCCC). A year later, the data is in - and the results appear to have knocked the club’s energy bills for six.

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THE PROBLEM

The UK's leading green building certification system is the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). This certification evaluates buildings' sustainability performance across various categories, such as energy efficiency, water usage, materials, and waste management. While BREEAM certification is not compulsory, many stadium projects in the UK have voluntarily pursued it to showcase their dedication to sustainable construction and recognised sustainability standards.

NCCC, keen to align their green credentials with BREEAM were searching for a solution to the energy demands of their large indoor training centre which is situated next to the main pitch, and also houses the club reception, hospitality suites and media rooms.

The roof - a large curved and profiled metal structure -  appeared to be the obvious solution with its capacity to house a large solar array. However, the club were told that the roof structure, like so many sports centres and stadiums, wouldn’t be able to take the weight of traditional glass solar panels. And not only that, the mounting systems, that these panels are generally secured with, would require holes to be drilled through the roof to secure them; potentially leading to leaks and water damage in the future.

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THE SOLIVUS TEAM TAKE A VISIT TO THE INSTALL

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THE SOLUTION

Cue the game changer: Solivus’ lightweight solar systems. Unlike traditional solar installs, Solivus’ systems use flexible lightweight panels which are 70% lighter than traditional panels.

Constituting a step change in solar innovation, the solution comprises a 2x1m fibre-glass board, at a thickness of just 4mm, embedded with photovoltaic cells of approximately 1mm depth. Despite a seriously thin form the result is a powerful performance rated at over 19% efficient – which is similar to that of heavier panels. Moreover, by alleviating the need for heavy glass or aluminium, this approach a reduced much smaller carbon footprint in production.

As another key benefit, the lightweight nature of the panels also means they can be adhered directly to the roof, removing the need for penetration and further reducing the weight of the system. This installation technique, championed by Solivus, can be used to fit lightweight solar to almost any kind of roof material from flat membranes to curved standing seams.

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A MATCH UNDERWAY AT THE (LIGHTWEIGHT SOLAR POWERED) GROUND

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THE OUTCOME

Solivus were able to offer a complete Solution to NCCC, taking the project from the initial feasibility study, through to engineering design phase, planning, installation and activation of the system in just 30 weeks. Now one year on, Solivus continues to oversee responsibility for maintaining the system and provide ongoing data reports moving forward.

Commissioned in March 2023, the final system comprised a total of 221 lightweight solar panels. A year later, and the latest operational data has shown that not only has the system decarbonised the stadium by producing cleaner, greener energy, but also enhanced the financial returns for the club. As of May 2024, operational data reveals the installation has seen total savings for NCCC of over £14,434, with an annual ROI of 9.1%. To date ,the installation has saved over 11,128 kg of CO2.

Ray Payne CEO of NCCC said of the project: “The benefit of Solivus is that they gave us a complete solution: design, installation to the point of actually switching it on. A seamless installation that will save our club hundreds of thousands of pounds in energy bills over the lifetime of the installation.”

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RAY PAYNE SPEAKS TO SOLIVUS CEO JO PARKER-SWIFT

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Jo Parker-Swift, CEO of Solivus, expressed her excitement about the project: "This is great progress in the new ways that clean energy can be generated and used. It is exciting how the large amounts of solar energy we can generate on these structures can be utilised, whether it be in buildings, EV charging, traded locally, or directly to data centres or even to create Hydrogen. It’s a brilliant space to be working in."

Interestingly, the solar installation aligns with a recent government bill, which encourages the extensive deployment of rooftop solar on domestic industrial and commercial property to make effective use of available surfaces as a priority.

If replicated on a larger scale, this model could lead to an increase in solar installations, helping the UK reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and move closer to its Net Zero target. By promoting the generation and use of renewable energy, the project aligns with global efforts to decrease the 40% of annual CO2 emissions attributed to the built environment, in order to achieve Net Zero by 2050 or sooner.

For further information please visit: www.solivus.com

ABOUT SOLIVUS

Solivus are on a mission to decarbonise the built environment by making it as easy as possible for commercial buildings and homeowners to generate their own clean energy and save money with its ultra-thin and lightweight solar solutions.

On the commercial side, Solivus overcomes weight issues with its innovative lightweight solar solutions. This includes large commercial buildings, such as warehouses, hangars, stadiums and large offices, with it estimated that 40% of buildings cannot take the weight of conventional solar.  

For homeowners, Solivus are creating the Solivus Arc a designer solar sculpture for the home, designed to overcome the aesthetical challenges associated with traditional solar panels.  

Solivus are a winner of the Department for International Trade’s Green Builder of Tomorrow Prize 2022, are a Tech Nation 2.0 Alumni, and have been voted one of J.P. Morgan’s Top 200 Female Powered Businesses. Solivus are the energy behind lightweight solar.