A large rooftop with a comparatively smaller site, 1,416 photovoltaic panels, a thorough design process, and multiple channels of communication – CleanEarth has now completed a large-scale roof mount solar project for Harsh Environment cable experts Fibron.
Fibron were established in 1986 and are currently the leading supplier of bespoke umbilicals, cables, and terminations. Most of their products are installed offshore, where they need to withstand the most challenging environments. To produce such durable large-scale cables requires a great deal of energy. At Fibron sustainability has become increasingly front-of-mind, and considering that their operations require heavy energy usage, moving to renewable energy was vital.
To see solar installed at their site, several key elements had to be navigated. The initial design phase involved consistent and in-depth co-ordination between our team, Fibron, and their landlord, to ensure the best possible design for both the business’s needs and the landlord’s criteria. This involved multiple phases before a final design was approved: a 708kWp capacity system comprised of 1,416 bifacial 500W DMEGC fully traceable panels.
This system will be generating roughly 612,240 kWh of annual low-carbon electricity. The bifacial panels are designed to maximise all available light: where the backing of most solar panels is opaque, these bifacial panels have a translucent backing that enables the light to reflect off the back of the panel. This supports additional generation by utilising the radiance of the panels themselves. The system also has a payback period of around 5 years, meeting Fibron’s requirement of a project with a more rapid payback turnaround to suit the remaining length of their lease.
To get the system installed, our in-house team had to first mark out the rooftop and install rooflight netting covers. While the rooftop is sizeable, the site itself is small; during the installation of the panels site parking had to be partially restricted, meaning close co-ordination between our team and the Fibron team to minimise distribution to the business.
The now completed system will offset roughly 35% of Fibron’s energy needs and save their business 118 tonnes of annual carbon emissions. Over their system’s lifetime, these reductions will amass to an estimated 2,950 tonnes worth of carbon emissions. These carbon savings are crucial for Fibron, who are taking sustainability to new heights within their operations.
Learn more about our other large scale projects, like our Healey’s Cyder Farm roof mount system, our Superior Seals project, or our ground mount installation for Rodda’s.
