Solar PV pyramid by SRT, Renusol nominated for Solar Power Portal Award

02/12/2013

The British project planner Sustainable Renewable Technologies (SRT, Bilston Glen, UK) has been nominated for the Solar Power Portal Award for a solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed on a pyramid-shaped office building.

The PV pyramid has been shortlisted for the prize in the category “Most innovative system design”. A PV mounting system designed by German manufacturer Renusol was used in the ambitious project.

The PV pyramid generates more than 41,000 kWh of solar power annually

SRT managing director Tom King: "The most challenging project that I have planned to date."

“I am delighted that we have been nominated. The solar pyramid is the most challenging project that I have planned to date and many companies declared it to be impossible – due to the building’s unusually steep inclination,” states Tom King, the managing director of SRT.

In total, 193 Jetion solar PV modules, four Danfoss inverters and 1,158 Renusol clamp bases were used in the 48 kWp installation. The completed system generates more than 41,000 kWh of solar power annually, which is enough to cover 85 percent of Survey Solutions Scotland’s annual electricity demand, Renusol notes.

King was responsible for designing and constructing the solar PV system, which was mounted onto the office building of Survey Solutions Scotland, a company located just south of Edinburgh in the Scottish town of Loanhead, in July 2012. Dummy PV modules have been fitted around the edges of the pyramid to give the impression that the building’s entire surface area is covered with solar panels.

MetaSole mounting system from Renusol

“Also designing the scaffolding proved to be an immense challenge. The modules at the top of the pyramid were installed first, making it essential for them to be fixed securely in place. This is where the MetaSole mounting system from Renusol came in. It is the best system around and is incredibly quick and easy to install, which allowed us to save a lot of time as well as costs during the installation process,” explains King.

MetaSole consists of only a few components, which results in a very short mounting time. A screw with a cone point that penetrates material means that there is no need for pilot drilling, reducing the installation time even further. The system is suitable for mounting framed photovoltaic modules on steel and aluminium trapezoidal sheet metal roofs.

The winners of the Solar Power Portal Award are being announced at the Solar Energy UK event in Birmingham on 8 October.

Solar PV pyramid by SRT, Renusol nominated for Solar Power Portal Award

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