Drax has completed its first PV installation at the Glenlee hydroelectric power station in Scotland, which is the first of eight solar projects planned at the Galloway and Lanark hydroelectric power stations.
British energy company Drax has announced the completion of its first PV project at one of its hydropower stations in Scotland.
The system was deployed at the Glenlee hydropower station in Galloway and is the first of eight projects the company plans to deploy at its run-of-river hydropower stations in Galloway and Lanark in Scotland.
“The solar panels are used to offset electricity demand for the individual site. Each power station draws power from the local distribution network, which is connected to the power station’s low-voltage switchboard,” says Mike Wynd, Head of Hydro at Drax. pv magazine. “The solar panel is connected directly to this low-voltage board, which allows the imported power to be compensated. If we generate enough power, the power can be exported to the local distribution network.”
The company will invest £850,000 ($1.158 million) in the projects as part of its commitment to achieving net zero emissions across its value chain by the end of 2040.
“This is an attractive investment for Drax, both commercially and in achieving our sustainability goals. We will reduce our demand for electricity and the costs we incur as a company for energy, while at the same time demonstrating our leadership in moving closer to our net-zero ambition,” Wynd added.
In total, approximately 1,500 SunPower panels will be installed by Drax’s project partner Geo Green Power, with a total PV capacity of 693 kW and annual generation of 480 MWh. The inverters were supplied by Solaredge, while the choice of mounting system was thoroughly revised due to the need for weather loads.
“We have another hydropower plant, a pumped storage hydropower plant near Oban, which is not included in this initial investment,” Wynd concluded. “As a company, we will continue to evaluate opportunities to maximize energy generation capacity at our sites for both our commercial and sustainability objectives.”
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