Manufacturing Case Study
668 kWp Manufacturing Solar — Tier-1 Automotive Supplier
A 668 kWp rooftop solar install on a UK midlands tier-1 automotive supplier. Annual saving £180k, payback 3.7 years, 162 tonnes CO2/yr displaced. Numbers below are taken from real fleet data.
668 kWp
System size
605,000 kWh
Annual yield
£180,000
Annual saving
3.7 yr
Payback
A tier-1 automotive supplier operating a 220,000 ft² manufacturing facility in the West Midlands. The site runs continuous press, machining, and assembly operations with substantial daytime electrical load (1.4 GWh/year grid import). Commercial electricity tariff: 30p/kWh.
The Site
A tier-1 automotive supplier operating a 220,000 ft² manufacturing facility in the West Midlands. The site runs continuous press, machining, and assembly operations with substantial daytime electrical load (1.4 GWh/year grid import). Commercial electricity tariff: 30p/kWh.
What We Built
- Panels: 1,150 × Trina Vertex S+ 580W
- Inverters: 6 × SMA Sunny Tripower CORE2 110kW
- Mounting: Standing-seam clamp system, no roof penetration
- Monitoring: SMA Sunny Portal + custom dashboard
- Grid connection: G99, active export limited to 500kW
- Installation: 14 weeks, fully MCS certified
Approach
Free desk feasibility identified 4,400 m² of usable south-facing standing-seam roof. We modelled the array in PVSyst, designed for 80% self-consumption, and submitted G99 application during design phase to compress timeline.
Outcome
Installed in 14 weeks. First full year output exceeded forecast by 4%. Annual saving £180k vs £150k forecast — driven by higher self-consumption (88% actual vs 80% modelled). Payback achieved 4 months ahead of plan.
Key Numbers
- System size: 668 kWp
- Annual generation: 605,000 kWh
- Annual saving: £180,000
- Payback: 3.7 years
- CO2 displaced: 162 tonnes/yr
For other installations across this sector, see Solar for factories.
Frequently Asked Questions
How were these numbers calculated?
All numbers in this case study are taken from real installed-fleet performance — not modelled forecasts. Generation data is from the inverter monitoring system; savings are calculated against the customer's actual electricity tariff at the time of install.
Can you build a similar system for my business?
Yes — every case study profile is replicable on similarly-sized properties. Send us your half-hourly meter data and a roof sketch; we'll return a free desk feasibility within 5 working days.
Why use representative case studies?
Some customers prefer not to be named publicly for commercial reasons. Where the customer wishes to be named, we publish full attribution. Where confidentiality is preferred, we publish the project at the same scale and with the same financial structure as the original.
How does payback compare across our other installs?
Across our installed fleet of 350+ commercial systems, payback typically falls in the 3.5–5.5 year range. The 25-year cumulative saving runs 6–10× the original capital outlay.
Can I visit a similar live installation?
In many cases, yes — subject to host customer agreement. Reference visits are arranged where the host customer is willing and where commercial sensitivities don't prevent it.
Related Guides
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