HEXHAM-based Hadrian Electrical Engineering Ltd has been appointed as the distributor and installer for the Sonnen Dual Axis Solar Tracking System for the North Of England and Scotland.
Manufactured in Germany by the Kirchner Solar Group, the Sonnen Tracking System is the world’s leading dual axis tracker, generating a solar energy surplus of up to 45% compared to fixed mounted PV installations.
Malcolm Archer, managing director of Hadrian Electrical Engineering Ltd along with David Wilkinson, sales director, recently went out to the Kirchner factory in Germany to see the robotic manufacturing facility and some of the tracker parks which are common place in Europe. Solar trackers are common place, not only on farms and large commercial installations, but in car parks and factory units.
The Sonnen tracker has been built with angular accuracy of up to 0.1 degrees and developed in close co-operation with solar technology specialists, SMA, who manufacture inverters and communication equipment.
The communication hub allows you to monitor the system from anywhere in the world in real time and evaluate its performance on an iphone. It has a built-in protection system with an extensive array of safety features protecting your investment in the event of storms and power failures.
The system has a height adjustable mast which provides vertical clearance that other PV installations lack making them a perfect fit for integration into agricultural land and car parks.
So, while the tracker is used for power generation, the land below it can be used profitably.
Two of Hadrian’s electrical engineers have been out to the factory for training ready for the first installations during May and were very impressed with the precision and quality of the system. Malcolm Archer commented that the Sonnen Tracker is a perfect fit for the company’s product portfolio and is an ideal product where large amounts of electricity is used on farms, factories or any commercial operation which can site a tracker.
A single typical installation will produce over 12,000 kw of electricity per year and, if this electricity can be used on site, based on current feed-in tariffs of 16.8p per kw for a system of this size (which is index-linked and guaranteed for 25 years), will give a return equivalent to over 14% p.a.
Electricity costs will continue to rise so it is an ideal time to take advantage of the feed-in tariffs and invest in this type of technology which guarantees a good return on investment.
Hadrian Electrical Engineering Ltd are already distributors for Kingspan Renewables Ltd installing their wind turbines throughout the North of England. Hadrian already has the engineers and staff to carry out the whole projects in-house and the new Sonnen tracker will fit perfectly with the existing product range.
As well as the site survey work Hadrian can now carry out the property EPC assessments in-house as part of their customer service which is required under MCS regulations to receive feed-in tariffs for Solar PV installations.
If anyone is interested in the Sonnen Tracker Systems a free site assessment can be carried out. The contact number for the Hexham office is 01434 602402.
:: Hadrian Electrical Engineering Ltd, Renewable Energy Systems, Refrigeration, Commercial and Domestic Electrical Work. Station Court, Hexham, Northumberland. NE46 1EU. Tel: (01434) 602402.
