A 250 kW solar panel array has been installed on the roof of the Portsmouth City Council’s Hilsea Industrial Estate, incorporating the already existing 50 kW system that the site was already using. On top of this, to complement this impressive system, Tesla has built its largest UK-based Powerwall installation, capable of storing 135 kW of power at once.
With this Powerwall in operation, there are several advantages for the site, including the storage of energy that can be used at optimal and more expensive times compared to electricity off the National Grid. according to Energy Manager Magazine, the installation can power a domestic house homing two, for about two weeks.
The main advantage of this Powerwall is to relieve the estate’s reliance on the National Grid, which it will be able to by 50%. And thanks to it being solar powered, it will reduce the site’s carbon emissions by up to 69 tonnes per year. It’s even been mentioned that the site would be able to run entirely on solar power in seasons of high amounts of sun. Cllr Dave Ashmore, the council’s Cabinet Member of Environment and Climate Change, is feeling very positive about this step towards green energy, saying the following:
“It’s fantastic to see Portsmouth City Council leading the way when it comes to innovative projects like the one at Hilsea Industrial Estate. Not only are we producing and using our own renewable energy but projects like this dramatically reduce the Council’s ongoing energy costs. The Council has been clear in setting out its plans in tackling climate emergency and it’s fantastic to see projects like acting out these plans.”
The Portsmouth Council is looking to embrace Tesla’s Powerwall technology and other forms of batteries to push itself towards a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030. We’re very excited to see how this story unravels.