Powering our Bottesford depot with solar energy

Following a successful trial in 2022, our Bottesford depot has been using thin film solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to power their cabins, reducing the reliance on diesel-generated electricity and carbon emissions. 

The panels store the renewable energy generated in batteries ready for use and automatically turns off our fossil fuel-powered generators when a sufficient level of charge is reached, leading to a significant reduction in the amount of fuel used. 

Our analysis via the Victron online portal of the actual energy generated (kWh), the solar PV system generated 60% of the cabins energy requirements. In 2023, the total power generated by the solar panels was 6,268 kWh, equivalent to the amount of electricity used by 2.3 average households in the UK1.

6,268

kWh generated by the solar panels

The thin film PV panels are installed using an adhesive instead of mounting brackets, offering a more suitable option for lightweight buildings and the potential for Balfour Beatty to use this technology across its temporary sites to provide a further reduction in carbon emissions and operational costs.   

1 https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/average-gas-and-electricity-use-explained