XYZ commit to renewable energy supply
Published: | Renewable Energy
With energy costs continuing to rise and events around the world creating an uncertain marketplace for power supply, XYZ Machine Tools have taken control by installing a further 352 PV solar panels on the roof of their 100,000 Sq. ft facility located in Devon.
Chris Hellier, Operations and Finance Director, comments “We initially had several solar panels installed on our unit in 2023 and we started to see the advantages of using solar power straight away. With the testing of machines that we undertake and the uptake of electric vehicles by a growing number of staff, we investigated adding more panels to help reduce not only our energy costs but also to become less reliant on the grid”.
The installation of the additional panels was carried out by Harvest Green Developments, who designed and delivered the rooftop solar system. Within days of the install, XYZ are seeing the benefits of the investment and already there have been occasions when the whole of the factory has been powered by green energy. The amount of power created, used and fed back to the grid is monitored using a suite of software from Solar Edge allowing XYZ to see the impact that these new panels are making.
Chris adds “We continue to investigate ways to help protect the planet here at XYZ. Biodiversity is a topic that is important to us, as we have shown with the ISO 14001 accreditation that we have. XYZ are already reaping the benefits of the solar panel installation, and we will be utilizing the roof space of our new 30,000 sq. ft extension due for completion in mid-2026 to help cut our energy costs and further reduce our reliance on the grid”.
Although located in Devon where the gulf stream assists in creating a sunnier climate, the new panels installed don’t have to rely on sunlight to produce a DC voltage. This charge is then converted to AC using a set of 3 invertors which allows the power created to be used by the factory. Now operational, the system can produce a maximum AC power output of 109.82 kW and importantly is predicted to generate an annual saving of 28.09 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of planting 1,290 trees.
Chris concludes “Here at XYZ we are constantly looking to reduce our carbon footprint. We installed a biomass boiler that heats the factory during the winter months many years ago. This, with the addition of these extra solar panels and the recent installation of multiple car charging points at the front of our building ensures XYZ are embracing our responsibility to the environment.
Image of Solar Edge screen taken on a sunny day to show how much energy we produce.
Image of factory to highlight how many machines we have running on test.
