Ken Jervis Kia Dealership based in Stoke-On-Trent has gone green. The 176 paneled system installed DC power is 88.00 kWp and is estimated to generate 71.MWh of solar energy annually as well as improving the business’s environmental contribution by saving nearly 14 tonnes in carbon emissions every calendar year which is equivalent to 635 trees being planted. They estimate savings of around ten thousand pounds per annum in electricity costs. With a current annual bill of nearly £15,000, the solar array is estimated to knock off a considerable £9,897 in the first year alone. Over its expected lifetime, the system is should save Ken Jervis Kia almost £320,000.

The solar PV system consisted of 176 x Longi Solar, LR5-66HIH-500M (user-defined) with half the amount of P1100 SolarEdge optimisers. To complete the system we installed the SolarEdge 66.6K Manager

We use Longi solar panels for the majority of our solar PV installation as they are the top maker of mono-silicon panels in the world. Each year, they make more than 30GW of solar panels. They focus on making high-quality PERC and bi-facial panels. These panels last longer than other mono panels because they are treated to reduce solar degradation which offers a better lifetime yield than standard mono panels. They also have a very good working environment for their employees which is very important to us.

David Norwood, Managing Director at Ken Jervis Kia, commented: “The savings to our business speak for themselves, but it’s the CO₂ reduction that really interests us – we want the dealership to be as green as possible, in-line with Kia’s ethos and ahead of government directives to reduce carbon. Car dealerships require a lot of energy for heat, lighting, service bay ramps and equipment, so using the sun’s free energy to power most of it throughout the year makes absolute sense, as well as benefiting the environment and the local area.”

The solar array has been designed to accommodate a battery storage system, which would further enhance the installation and allow Ken Jervis Kia to be almost entirely off-grid powered. Any excess energy produced by the solar array will also be fed back into the National Grid, pushing more green energy into the system, helping power Stoke-on-Trent homes and businesses.