Albert Harrison – 48kWp Commercial Solar PV Installation

The Project

QUEST Electrical were appointed to deliver a commercial solar PV installation for Albert Harrison at Meadway, Padiham.

The system was designed at 48.00kWp, using 96 x 500W DMEGC solar PV modules, a SolarEdge SE33.3K inverter and 48 x S1000 power optimisers.

The SolarEdge design modelled annual usable solar production at approximately 46.09MWh, with a performance ratio of 91% and an annual specific production of 960kWh/kWp.

The installation was developed to help reduce the site's reliance on imported grid electricity while making effective use of the available roof space.

The Challenge

As with any commercial solar installation, the system needed to be designed around the site's existing electricity consumption rather than simply maximising the number of panels installed.

The design report identified annual site consumption of approximately 77.36MWh, with the proposed solar system expected to supply around 34.83MWh directly to the building. This equates to approximately 45% of the site's annual electricity consumption being supplied by solar generation, based on the design simulation.

The remaining solar production was modelled to export approximately 11.25MWh annually to the grid, meaning around 76% of the generated solar energy would be consumed directly on site.

The electrical design also needed to accommodate a 33.3kW SolarEdge inverter, with the DC array configured across three strings, each incorporating S1000 optimisers.

The Solution

QUEST developed a 48kWp SolarEdge PV system comprising:

• 96 x 500W DMEGC PV modules
• 1 x SolarEdge SE33.3K inverter
• 48 x SolarEdge S1000 optimisers
• 3 x PV strings
• 32 modules per string
• Optimiser configuration of 2 modules per optimiser

The system was designed allowing the PV array to maximise generation across varying operating conditions while keeping modelled inverter clipping to just 0.08%.

The SolarEdge simulation estimates annual production of approximately 46.09MWh, reducing the amount of electricity required from the grid and providing Albert Harrison with a more efficient long-term energy solution. The model also estimates an annual CO² saving of approximately 8.91 tonnes.

Project Highlights

• 48.00kWp solar PV system
• 96 x 500W PV modules
• SolarEdge SE33.3K inverter
• 48 x S1000 optimisers
• 46.09MWh estimated annual solar production
• 34.83MWh estimated annual on-site solar consumption
• 45% of annual electricity demand supplied by solar
• 91% modelled performance ratio
• 8.91 tonnes estimated annual CO² reduction
• 960kWh/kWp annual specific production

This project demonstrates how a correctly designed commercial solar PV system can be matched to a site's real energy profile, helping maximise self-consumption while reducing reliance on grid electricity.

Find out more about our commercial & industrial solar PV installations