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Morrison’s multi site rollout 2013
“Bridgwater is a terrific example of how
solar PV can be successfully deployed
on large scale commercial rooftops.”
Practical & sustainable energy solutions
GMI Energy I www.gmienergy.co.uk I energy@gmienergy.co.uk I tel: 0113 819 9777 I fax: 0113 276 0180
Introduction
Morrison’s multi-site rollout
In order to help achieve it’s ambitious 2020 carbon reduction targets, Morrison’s decided to fit rooftop solar PV to
new stores, as well as two of their existing distribution centres in Bridgwater and Sittingbourne. Solar PV is a popular
choice for many businesses because it is a flexible and reliable technology that will provide a generous electricity
supply, as well as helping to lower carbon emissions by reducing electricity consumption from the grid.
Morrison’s has taken the wise decision to hedge against future energy price rises through self-generation and
with guaranteed subsidies for the next 20 years, there is potential to earn considerable revenue from the systems.
Furthermore, data from the systems installed so far shows that all are producing above their original forecast
and are therefore likely to yield a higher income than was first thought. The self-use savings from the PV systems
will also increase as the cost of electricity rises and over the summer months they will contribute a significant
proportion of the store’s energy needs. For example, it is estimated that the Bridgwater system was contributing
around 17% of the distribution centre’s total electricity requirements over the summer.
The solar project has raised positive public awareness of Morrison’s efforts to cut carbon and gained recognition
in the industry as an exemparly project, receiving two awards for Best Commercial Rooftop Installation and
Renewable Energy Project of the Year. Minister for Energy and Climate Change Greg Barker commented “…GMI
Energy’s award winning project fitting solar panels to the Morrison’s distribution centre in Bridgwater is a terrific
example of how solar PV can be successfully deployed on large scale commercial rooftops. I am keen to see
more developments like this in the future.”
Project locations to date
GMI Energy are currently completing
numerous solar PV installations for
Morrison’s new build stores in a variety
of locations around the country
as far north as Blyth right down to
Littlehampton on the south coast, Isle
of Sheppey in the east and Gloucester
in the west. Shortly the team will be
progressing up to Scotland and across
to Wales as well as a number of
installations in the Midlands.
PV installations
completed or
underway
Part of the rollout has seen the
installation of two major systems
at Morrison’s distribution centres in
Bridgwater and Sittingbourne with
almost 3MW of installed solar power.
The two systems comprise of roughly
12,000 solar panels.
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Energy savings
Forecast energy and carbon savings
Bridgwater - 970 kWp: 843 MWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 263 homes, 456 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Sittingbourne - 1.94 MWp: 1,653 MWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 500 homes, 710 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Hoddesdon - 50 kWp: 38,082 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 11 homes,16 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Littlehampton - 50 kWp: 46,760 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 14 homes, 25 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
The combined
output from
Bridgwater and
Sittingbourne
alone is enough
to meet all the
electricity needs of
763 homes
Bedford - 33.6 kWp: 24,774 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 8 homes, 11 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Blyth - 50 kWp: 34,565 kWh annual average production, enough electricity
to power 10 homes, with 15 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Middlewich - 30 kWp: 19,969 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 6 homes, 10 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Gloucester - 25 kWp: 19,564 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 6 homes, 10 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Neatscourt - 30 kWp: 25,336 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 8 homes, 13 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
The Morrison’s
project will install
around 4MW of solar
PV, saving almost
2000 tonnes of CO2
equivalent emissions
every year...
Cardiff- 50 kWp: 39,698 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 12 homes, 21 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Carterton - 50 kWp: 41,406 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 13 homes, 22 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Kirkcaldy - 50 kWp: 41,175 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 12 homes, 22 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Watford - 50 kWp: 40,482 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 12 homes, 22 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
Preston - 50 kWp: 40,852 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 12 homes, 22 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
...That is
equivalent to
the carbon
sequestered
by 50,000 tree
seedlings grown
for 10 years!
Swindon- 164 kWp: 123,636 kWh annual average production, enough
electricity to power 37 homes, 69 tonnes annual average CO2e savings
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In the press
Morrison’s solar project PR
Morrison’s have received a lot of publicity from their project with press releases in the Yorkshire Post, local papers in
Sittingbourne and Bridgwater, as well as online publications in Business Green, Solar Power Portal and 2degrees network.
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Award winning
Solar Power Portal Awards & Energy Awards
Morrison’s Bridgwater project was named Best Commercial
Rooftop Installation 2013 at the Solar Power Portal Awards in
October of this year. It is reported that there were over 160
applicants for the hotly contested category and we were
delighted that our project was selected.
The judges described Bridgwater as simply “a cracking
project” and Ray Noble, Photovoltaic Specialist at the
Renewable Energy Association and judge at the awards
said, “The judges chose this project due to exemplary use of
the new roof space, mounting panels both East and West
to maximise the generation area available. The installation
was designed to be totally invisible from ground level
while generating a significant contribution to the buildings
electricity requirements. The judges felt that this clearly
demonstrates what the future should be for all buildings
of this type and this example should encourage others to
follow”.
Minister for Energy and Climate
Change, Greg Barker, also
commented on the project saying,
“The Coalition is committed to
delivering the clean and reliable
energy supplies that the country
needs. Solar PV plays an important
role in helping us to meet this challenge.
“GMI Energy’s award winning project fitting solar panels to
the Morrison’s distribution centre in Bridgwater is a terrific
example of how solar PV can be successfully deployed on
large scale commercial rooftops. I am keen to see more
developments like this in the future.”
Following success at the Solar Power Portal Awards,
Morrison’s gained further recognition when the multi-site
project as a whole was named Renewable Energy Project
of the Year at the prestigious Energy Awards, held at the
Grosvenor Hotel in London.
The awards covered a wide range of energy aspects
including energy efficiency, carbon reduction and water
management. Shortlisted for Renewable Energy were an
array of exciting renewable energy projects including
geothermal and air to water heat pumps, alongside our
very own Morrison’s multisite solar PV rollout.
“The judges were impressed by the quality of the entry.
The scale of this was demonstrated by the commitment
in renewable generation of the supermarket. A practical,
repeatable solution.”
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Monitoring
System monitoring and maintenance
Monitoring is essential to ensure the arrays are performing as expected and alert GMI Facilities Management of any
system failures. If a system is down for one month in the summer then you could lose up to 15% of your annual income!
We use a combination of two monitoring systems to offer total peace of mind.
Our forecasts are based on conservative market predictions and accurate production estimates drawn from
advanced industry software so there is no risk of disappointment with a system that is not delivering the results that
were promised.
All Morrison’s systems are monitored with near real-time data using our advanced monitoring hardware. Data
is then collated and analysed to produce ongoing progress reports of how well the systems are performing. To
date, Morrison’s systems are performing on average 13.6% above our orignial forecast. The yield from the systems
is naturally dependent on the weather, however, if the systems continue to overperform then we would expect they
payback period to be brought forward and the overall revenue from the system to increase.
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Performance
Overall performance of existing systems
Of the completed projects several are now fully set up for real-time monitoring. It may take several weeks for data to first
upload to the system so there is data from around 5 projects currently in the process of being added, as well as another
handful that have only recently been commissioned.
The above graph shows the total generation from the combined systems installed in Blyth, Littlehampton, Middlewich,
Bridgwater, Bedford, Hoddesdon, Sittingbourne, Cardiff and Sheppey. The yield is considerably higher in the summer but
this is also in part thanks to an increased number of installations.
We would expect these figures to increase further as completed projects are set up for monitoring and new projects are
underway.
2014 projects in design: Pitsea, Norwich, Verwood, Worksop, Milton Keynes, Exeter, Abergavenny, Dalkeith, Croydon,
Weybridge, Plympton and Wyndmondham.
Cumulative yield and revenue
Cumulative yield to date from sites currently set up for monitoring - 871,233 kWh
Cumulative CO2e savings to date from sites currently set up for monitoring - 471 tonnes
Target cumulative revenue to the end of November (Blyth, Littlehampton, Middlewich, Bridgwater, Bedford,) - £121,363.64
Actual cumulative revenue to the end of November (Blyth, Littlehampton, Middlewich, Bridgwater, Bedford) - £138,906.11
To date, these sites have generated an income that is £17,542.47 (around 14%) higher than the forecast
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Project details
Project challenges - 50kWp Blyth
In coastal locations there are strong winds and salt mist to
contend with. The structural design of the installation involves
careful calculations of wind uplift as well as the capability of the
existing structural frame.
Our solar panels are optimised to the UK climate and salt mist
resistant, making them ideal for use in UK coastal regions.
The system in Blyth is carefully fitted to the roof using a nonpenetrative ballasted system designed specifically for flat roofs.
The panels are pitched at an optimum angle to increase yield
and system efficiency, with space between modules to minimise
shading. A similar system design will be applied to the other flat
roof / coastal Morrison’s stores currently awaiting completion.
Weight distribution of a ballasted system
Designing a building mounted PV system requires careful structural
analysis and estimations of the system weight distribution. We must
also examine the building height, size, parapets and adjacent
plant.
The below diagram is taken from a weight layout for a largescale roof mounted PV system. As you can see the weight is not
evenly distributed across the roof. High wind pressure areas carry
greater weights of ballast to counteract wind. The wind zones
acting on the building will vary from country, region to region and
between sites due to orientation. All these analyses and designs are
conducted in-house by the GMI Energy team.
The weights shown include gaps between rows
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Project details
Project challenges - 1MW Bridgwater & 2MW Sittingbourne
The 1MW solar PV installation at Morrison’s regional distribution centre in Bridgwater is roughly 20 times the size
of the typical 50kWp systems on Morrison’s new stores. Due to the scale of the project planning permission was
required for both Bridgwater and Sittingbourne sites. This was successfully completed by the GMI Energy team.
The Bridgwater system is installed on a chilled
distribution centre with the load profile of the
chiller perfectly matching the generation
output from the system. The panel layout was
designed to fit according to the optimum
available roof area with an east/west split
that takes into account shading constraints
from pipes, parapets and extract flues.
The Bridgwater design required some very
complicated engineering of the structure
to calculate the maximum capability of the
existing structural frame taking into account
the suspended loads of the internal fridge
box. All this work was carried out in-house
using our highly experienced construction
professionals.
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Project details
Project challenges - 1MW Bridgwater & 2MW Sittingbourne
The installation at the distribution centre in Sittingbourne is an impressive 2MW system comprising of over 8000
solar panels across two units. Similar to Bridgwater there were complex challenges to overcome in terms of the
structural restrictions and placement of panels around existing roof lights. The GMI Energy team was required
to work carefully and considerately at this live major distribution centre and to work efficiently during a power
shutdown of the site in order to complete electrical connections.
Prior to installation GMI Energy sought planning approval and connection approval from the District Network
Operator (DNO). All grid connected PV systems require DNO approval, which must obtained prior to installation
for all systems over 3.68kWp. GMI Energy takes care of this application for all projects, which can vary in
complexity and timescales between different network operators.
At Bridgwater and Sittingbourne the DNO approval was subject to some unusual requirements due to the size of
the system. The most important requirements related to grid stability, as the DNO specified that the system must
be fitted with advanced monitoring equipment to record the tolerance of voltage and frequency, in addition
to a G59 relay that enables the system to be disconnected if necessary.
The distribution centres are busy live sites that are in use 24 hours a day and are a crucial part of Morrison’s daily
operations. For this reason it was necessary for GMI Energy to liaise regularly with Morrison’s RDC Site Managers
in order to make arrangements for cranage and other essential activities during the installation. GMI Energy
appointed a Site Manager to remain at each distribution centre throughout the duration of the project in order
to make sure everything was progressing smoothly.
Power One Inverters at Bridgwater and Sittingbourne regional distribution centres
We are here as your long-term energy partner to design, build and operate a bespoke system
Project details
Project challenges - 1MW Bridgwater & 2MW Sittingbourne
We pride ourselves on an outstanding Health and Safety record and all installations operate to stringent
Health and Safety standards. This is particularly important when working on a site such as the Bridgwater and
Sittingbourne distribution centre. The projects were implemented according to a detailed Construction Phase
Plan (CPP) that is fully compliant with CDM regulations and BSOHSAS 18001. The CPP includes detailed method
statements and risk assessments to ensure works are completed correctly and with minimal risk. It also highlights
any areas where further measures may be required in order to reduce risk. For example, part of the roofs have
fragile roof lights that required roof light covers.
GMI appoint an in-house Quality Safety and Environment Manager who visited the sites to carry out inspections
and ensure all procedures in our QES policy were being adhered to. After the project was completed a further
site inspection was conducted by the Construction Director and a complete Operations and Maintenance
manual was issued as part of the handover process.
In the final stages of the project completion it was necessary to shut down all power at the sites whilst the system
was connected. Given the scale of the operations at Morrison’s RDCs and the value of goods within the chilled
warehouses it was vital that this stage was conducted with the greatest care and efficiency. The shutdown
presented further challenges in that it is only possible to completely shut down the sites on two days in the year.
For this reason it was of paramount importance that the installation was completed in time.
Planning the shutdown included a trial shutdown during normal working hours prior to the full shutdown, which
took place on a bank holiday weekend. The trial enabled us to make sure everyone involved understood their
role in the process and to make sure the IT systems were shut down and brought back online in the correct
order with no technical errors. This was crucial to minimise any risk to the business and its operations. During
the trial shutdown various issues were identified, such as a fault with the standby generator one of the chilled
warehouses. All issues could then be rectified before the full shutdown, which was completed successfully.
Sittingbourne specifications:
8256 x 235W polycrystalline Canadian solar panels
56 x Power One inverters
Bridgwater specifications:
4128 x 235W polycrystalline Canadian solar panels
29 x Power One inverters
We are here as your long-term energy partner to design, build and operate a bespoke system
GMI Energy is a trading name for
GMI Renewable Energy Group Ltd
GMI Energy Divisions include:
GMI Energy - Solar
GMI Energy - Biomass
GMI Energy - Lighting
GMI Energy - Smart Metering
GMI Energy
Park House
Westland Road
Leeds LS11 5UH
Email: info@gmienergy.co.uk
Tel: +44(0)113 819 9777
Fax: +44(0)113 276 0180
www.gmienergy.co.uk
Practical & sustainable energy solutions