In May 2018, Spirit installed a 9.76kWp domestic ground mounted solar PV array in Farringdon, Oxfordshire. The panels are orientated to face directly south and sloped at a 30 degree angle to maximise the solar energy incident on the array. The system is comprised of 32 x Qcell 305W panels, with a predicted generation in the region of 9,500kWh per annum, and utilises SolarEdge inverters. SolarEdge systems optimise the performance of each panel individually rather than optimising across a string of panels. This generally increases the yield by 2-3% in the first year and as panel degradation becomes more of a factor this value will increase. SolarEdge systems are comparable to micro-inverters in performance but are simpler and cheaper.
To maximise the amount of solar PV generated to be used on site, two Tesla Powerwall 2 battery systems were also installed. It is estimated that with the inclusion of the battery systems the annual usage supplied by solar will increase to 71%, compared to 30% without storage.
