Crawley solar firm partners on £1.3m renewable energy project
A Crawley solar energy company is supplying technology for a £1.3 million project described as the UK’s largest solar thermal installation.
Naked Energy, based at Crawley Business Quarter in Fleming Way, has partnered with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to provide renewable heating and cooling at its Coventry campus.
The project will use 1,965 of the company’s VirtuHOT solar thermal collectors, covering 1,277 square metres of roof space at MTC’s Ansty Park site.
The installation is expected to generate up to 786kW of heat and cut the centre’s greenhouse gas emissions by 37 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year.
Unlike solar panels that generate electricity, solar thermal collectors capture the sun’s energy as heat. The MTC system will supply heating and hot water, as well as power an absorption chiller to cool the research facility during summer.
Naked Energy co-founder and chief executive Christophe Williams said the project demonstrated how British technology could help manufacturers reduce emissions.
“On the supply side, it’s British-engineered technology, designed and built in the UK, that is delivering it at record scale,” he said.
“Industry and business have long presented the hardest sectors to decarbonise, particularly when it comes to heating and cooling. This project shows what can be achieved when renewable solar heat is designed as part of a modern system, resulting in increased efficiency and lower emissions.”
MTC, which helps manufacturers develop and adopt new production technologies, said its £1.3 million investment would reduce its exposure to volatile energy markets.
Joe Darlington, chief innovation solutions officer at MTC, said: “By making this investment, we are reducing our emissions while demonstrating how British technology can help manufacturers become more sustainable and resilient.”
Engineering specialist SHEco Group delivered and installed the system, which is connected to an 8,000-litre water storage tank.
The project follows an £8.875 million investment in the Crawley company from Great British Energy and Barclays Climate Ventures. Naked Energy described the funding as Great British Energy’s first major solar investment.