Mypower has designed and installed a 306-panel solar photovoltaic (PV) system for the roof of St. Catherine’s Health Centre in the Wirral, expected to afford operator, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, a saving and income of £8,400 in the first year.
Over 25 years the commercial benefit is expected to be some £400,000, ‘when likely rises in grid-supplied energy costs are factored in’. Today, Mypower says, solar PV is providing St Catherine’s with the equivalent of electricity purchased at 5.93 p per unit, a rate that includes an Operations and Maintenance allowance. Neil Stott, Business Development director, Mypower, explained: “Compare this to the current Grid purchase price of 13.69 p per unit, and the solar PV delivers local electricity at a 57% saving per unit generated, before any future grid supplied price rises are considered.”
He added: “The system will provide approximately 40% of the health centre’s electricity needs annually. Not all the solar-generated electricity will be used on site, as at times production will outstrip demand, and the excess will be exported and sold to the grid. As and when battery costs become commercially compelling, it may well become possible for the system to provide nearly 70% of the health centre’s electricity needs, and a level of emergency back-up power to support its more traditional generators.
“St. Catherine’s first year return on capital invested is predicted to be 10%, with a payback time of under 10 years. We use proven software to calculate future electricity generation month-bymonth. Over 12 months our systems typically outperform against our predictions.”
