Wattstor has designed a 128kW Energy Storage system for Blackwood Homes & Care, to assist in their ‘Grey Fleet to Green Fleet’ project, supported by the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme.
Blackwood Homes offer a range of accessible, modern, and bespoke housing aimed at providing great value to people with a range of disabilities and housing needs. They run over 1,500 homes throughout Scotland and 80 of them are large care homes.
Emtec Energy was appointed Principal Contractor on the project, with support from Rexel PLC, and Wattstor was subsequently commissioned for providing system components, system design and project technical support at the facility, which will provide self-consumption services as well as grid backup in the event of a power cut.
Overall, Blackwood’s goal is to achieve lower running costs by optimizing the use of a solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at Broom Court, one of their care homes in Stirling. The 111.3 kW solar PV system is installed across 19 roofs at Broom Court, including residential care homes and Blackwood offices.
The installation comprises of 128 kWh of Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Storage, connected to six 10 kVA Inverter/Chargers. The site’s main distribution board has been transferred to a backup circuit which will supply emergency backup power in the event of a grid failure, allowing a portion of the PV generation to continue to operate.
The battery system is configured to use 60% of its capacity for self-consumption, increasing the level of solar used and minimising levels of export and import to and from the grid, with the remaining 40% being reserved to provide backup power in the event of a power cut. Blackwood will not only utilize affordable solar power to lower its costs compared to current utility rates, but the battery system will further reduce energy costs by using stored electricity to minimize peak demand.
The overall system is expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions, become more independent and less reliant on the grid.
“For us, at Wattstor it’s becoming clear that the future of solar power lies in this type of battery – coupled systems, which allow energy to be stored and used even when the sun isn’t shining.
Wattstor was approached because of its knowledge and reputation in the sector. We found the project extremely interesting and our engineers were able to design and configure the system with the functionality required” said Trevor Howard, Wattstor’s MD.
He added: “Renewable power is an economical, practical solution for a growing number of locations and energy needs, and Blackwood Care Homes are setting an example for others who are still relying on fossil fuels but who could easily transition to systems powered by solar and storage today.”
The installation has been nominated for “Residential, commercial, and industrial energy storage project of the year, at the upcoming Solar Power Portal Awards.” More details here.
About Wattstor:
Wattstor Ltd, founded in January 2013, is one of the UK’s leading home energy storage companies which provides expertise in the design and supply of bespoke energy storage solutions, both off and on grid to domestic and commercial clients in the UK. Since the first Wattstor systems were installed, the company has helped shaping technical guidance and safety standards in the UK.
Having recently partnered with janom, a European private equity company, Wattstor is currently embarking on several R&D projects while ensuring that the development of new products and technologies is ongoing.
About Emtec Energy
Emtec Energy, part of the Emtec Group was established in 2009 and provides a full turnkey solution in the energy and renewable technology sector. With offices throughout Scotland and England, Emtec offers a wide range of products and services, such as Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Battery Storage, Heat Pumps, and Energy Monitoring.
About Rexel PLC
Rexel is a market leader in the professional distribution of products and services for the energy sector. The company provides a broad range of sustainable and innovative products, services, and solutions to both commercial and residential customers across the UK. Their portfolio covers the fields of technical supply, automation and energy management for sectors including construction, renovation, maintenance, and production.
Official website: https://wattstor.com/broom-court-care-home-energy-storage-optimises-use-solar-power-uk-care-home/
