Like all supermarkets, Fresh Food Centre in Castlewellan, Northern Ireland had high power bills driven by refrigeration and lighting. The owner, Michael Johnston, wanted to reduce the ongoing electric bills significantly, and turned to solar.

Supermarket Savings Start With Solar

Johnston had a head start when it came to going solar: he had already tried it. He was so impressed with the performance of the Enphase System at his home that when he identified a need for a PV solution for his supermarket and filling station, the decision was obvious. He wanted the same company, same technology.

Solar NI, formed in 2001 with a goal of changing people’s attitudes towards solar power in UK and Ireland, had already won Johnston over. Johnston chose Solar NI to install the 20kWp system and specified Enphase as the chosen solution. 

Fresh Sunshine, Delivered Daily

The owner of the Fresh Food Centre was already convinced of the performance of the Enphase System, he also wanted Enphase’s reliability and safety for this commercial install.

The reduction in running costs for Fresh Food Centre was key, and solar power was the obvious way forward. The supermarket’s lights and fridges run all day, resulting in very high electric bills: energy is Fresh Food Centre’s second highest cost after salaries.

Before installing solar, Johnston’s annual power bills were in the region of £72,000. In the first year after installation, the Fresh Food Centre expected to reduce that by £6,500.

High power production is a key advantage of Enphase systems. Because each microinverter operates independently, the system maximises the power produced by every single panel. Traditional solar PV systems see the whole system’s production fall every time one panel has an issue such as a poorly performing or partially shaded panel. The Enphase solution was able to maximise profit and significantly reduce power bills. Soon after install in October 2013 the system was overperforming the projections by 14%.

The rate of return is proving the sense of the initial investment.

Solar Professionals Embrace Simple Installation

Solar NI found the ease of the installation using Enphase second to none. The Enphase solution requires no DC design and consists of a plug-and-play technology. This allows Solar NI to offer their customers a first-class install and unparalleled yield.

Enphases Enlighten’s continuous intelligent monitoring software means Solar NI can offer proactive maintenance of the system, rather than reactive, and the backup of the Enphase 20-year inverter warranty gives the customer peace of mind.

To see a video of the Fresh Food Centre installation please visit http://www.solarni.co.uk/case-study/ 

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