The UK’s biggest solar carport has been cleaned by Clean Solar Solutions. Not only is it the biggest solar car port but this is also believed to be the first carport solar cleaning project in the UK.
The solar carport is located at Nottingham’s flagship sporting venue and became the latest feather in Clean Solar’s cap when we secured a prestigious job to clean the brand new array of 448 solar panels only a day after it was commissioned.
It had quickly become apparent to Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre that their new installation would need a thorough professional clean immediately after the contractors had completed the construction. The inevitable dust created by the build was heavily compounded by other unrelated building work that had gone on in the nearby vicinity. This had deposited a film of dust on the panels which would seriously undermine their performance. Evoenergy wished to help their client achieve an optimum return on their investment from the outset, so entrusted the cleaning of this latest venture to Clean Solar Solutions.
Despite a heavy cleaning schedule in the busy summer months, Clean Solar Solutions quickly mobilised and a team was on site less than 48 hours after the initial contact, completing the task in one day.
The canopy covered 40 car parking spaces including a number with electric vehicle chargers, so due care and attention had to be paid to ensure that no damage was caused in the process, and that the task was completed safely and with the minimum disruption to the Centre’s activities.
Steve Williams, Clean Solar Solutions M.D. states “Safety is of paramount importance when conducting a clean in any circumstances, but particularly on new configurations such as this. Clean Solar Solutions maintain only the highest standards in safety and protection of our workforce, the public and our client’s property. Our solar panel cleaning training program that all of our cleaning teams undertake is intensive and covers health and safety in detail.”
Last year, Clean Solar Solutions was the first company in the UK to undertake the cleaning of a floating solar farm and now eagerly await the next unique enquiry. Williams added “We have yet to encounter a job that has presented a challenge we could not overcome, and actually enjoy tackling the many new and inventive ways in which solar is now being employed in the commercial environment. The Evoenergy team that worked on the Nottingham project design predict that the first 1MW carport system won’t be far away, and with the rapid uptake of electric vehicles, we also expect to see increasing numbers of these ports appearing across the UK. Generating free electricity for the chargers on the premises is a ‘no-brainer’ and Clean Solar Solutions is delighted to be part of this exciting new trend.”
The UK’s largest solar carport – the facts
· A 76.3kWp system predicted to generate 55.7MWh of electricity per annum
· Enough to power 20 homes
· Expected to generate over £10,000 in benefit every year it operates
· Part of a £13.5m redevelopment of the site
· A joint project between Flexisolar, Sitec Infrastructure Services, EvoEnergy and project manager, TSCC
If you are a solar array designer or if you are an installer that has a project that is particularly challenging to clean, we would be glad to hear from you and see if we can be of assistance.
