Knowledge: Case studies
SOLAR PV
What: Exeter
medical practice
switches to solar
power
How: 10kW system
installed by Sungift
Result: Seven year
payback
POWER CONTROL DEVICE
What: Excess PV
power diverted to
immersion heater
rather than national
grid
How: 4eco’s
immerSUN
Result: An increase
in consumption of
self-generated power
from 20 percent to up
to 100 percent
32 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
Exeter-based Mount Pleasant Health Centre has
had solar panels fitted to its roof to reduce its
high energy bills.
The busy medical practice opted for the
system to tackle its large energy usage. In the
spirit of the centre’s continued commitment to
the public, its management says it was keen to
look at ways to reduce its carbon footprint.
The centre chose local company SunGift
Solar to undertake the work.
The practice now proudly displays a 10kW
solar PV system on its roof, which is being used
to provide power for the centre’s lighting, IT
infrastructure and specialist equipment such as
ECG machines. As the centre uses its electricity
throughout the day – when the sun is shining –
it uses the majority of the energy that the system
generates, rather than having to export it back
to the grid.
The installation should generate enough
solar energy each year to power the equivalent
of five homes. With a payback period of just
seven years the investment offers a substantial
return.
Practice manager, Julie Croze, said: “Not
knowing anything about solar energy, the
terminology was daunting, but everything was
explained so clearly.
Two years ago, Richard Fuell became the first
person to own an immerSUN microgen heating
control system, which diverts the surplus power
generated by his panels to his immersion heater.
Up until then his 2.5kW solar PV system,
installed on to his Devon home the year before,
had been automatically shipping back into the
grid all of the excess clean energy it created
during daylight hours.
He then found himself having to buy back
energy from the grid in the evenings, counter-
intuitively, in order to heat hot water to power
his household heating systems.
He was so pleased with the results that
when he heard 4Eco were developing a new,
Power games:
Richard Fuell,
the first person to
own an immerSUN
microgen heating
control system,
now uses up to
100 percent of
the power his PV
system generates
by diverting it
away from the grid
Self consumption: As a heavy daytime user of
electricity, The Mount Pleasant Health Centre uses
the majority of its PV-generated power rather than
exporting it to the grid
“If you have the space why not capitalise on
it. It really is first class, looks great and has been
installed in such a neat and tidy way.”
SunGift’s Joe Perry added: “Rising numbers
of health centres are looking to solar PV to
reduce their overheads and bring in additional
income. We’re seeing systems that are achieving
a 20 percent return on investment which means
systems are paid off in as little as five years and
the additional income can be used to help with
practice’s general running costs.”
next-generation immerSUN at the end of 2013,
he was first in the queue.
“I was surprised at how much of the
electricity I was generating was simply being
exported back to the grid. I’d always been
impressed with just how much money the first
immerSUN saved me, so I was really keen to get
my hands on the new model.
“Now not only am I using more of my own
excess generated power but I can see how much
electricity I’m using day or night. I’ve got the
ability to change all of the settings and timings
to suit my lifestyle.”
Jodi Huggett, director at 4Eco, said: “We’re
so pleased to hear about the positive impact the
immerSUN continues to have on Richard’s home
energy use.
“The new unit, with improved usability
functions and an LED display, is more user-
friendly than any other microgen heating
controller on the market. It looks great, has more
custom functions and, most importantly, it helps
owners get even more efficiency out of their
solar PV and wind systems – allowing them to
use as much as 100 percent of self-generated
power themselves.”