At the £2 million expansion of the National Farmers Union (NFU) HQ in Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, ICB (Solar) Ltd has completed the installation of a 36kWp solar PV system which over the 25 year period of the Government Feed-in-Tariff could generate over a £1/4 million.
It is not often you get the opportunity to help improve the environment and earn from it, but the National Farmers Union has done just that.
As part of a 28-week programme of works, main contractor Thomas Vale Construction designed and built a new conference suite for the UK’s largest farming organisation. ICB (Solar) installed a total of 288 Inventux Thin-Film modules –efficient even in low light – onto the flat roof of the new single-storey, steel framed building.
To waterproof the new roof, whilst providing the ideal base for a solar installation, specialist contractor Stoneleigh Services Ltd applied approximately 800m2 of alwitra’s world-renowned EVALON® V roofing membrane. The use of the ultra-light ICBSOLAR fixing system then made it possible to attach all 288 solar panels without any penetration of the high performance membrane.
Thanks to the Government Feed-in Tariff, which offers a guaranteed financial return for renewable electricity generation, the Inventux solar system is expected to repay the NFU’s initial investment in a little over eight years.
Completed in February 2012, the expansion project also includes the creation of a new car park, access road and shower block – which alongside the conference suite – will help the NFU to provide vastly improved facilities and services to all its members and visitors.