The installation of two 50 KWP (around 208 panels each) and one 22.6 KWP (around 94 panels) has cost the university £180,000 to install, but with the energy savings the solar PV will bring to the university, it will break even within seven years and will generate revenue from the government’s Feed In Tariffs, supplying energy back to the national grid and savings from reduced import costs, Mark Group said.

“This is part of De Montfort University’s strategic plan to invest in renewable energy and make considerable energy savings going forward,” said Paul Eccleshare, energy manager, De Montfort University. “By investing in the solar panels we will be able to reduce our energy bills considerably over the next twenty five to thirty years by utilising solar energy as a sustainable source of energy for the university.”

Mark Group managed the project from conception to completion including the technical survey, the detailed design and the electrical schematics.

“With the rising price of energy a constant topic of debate at the moment, it’s not difficult to understand the drivers behind a renewable energy strategy for a university the size of De Montfort University,” said Stephen Darlington, commercial services bid manager, Mark Group. “Solar energy will bring considerable savings and the university is able to oversee this and output from the solar panels via a central dashboard monitoring system which provides the information in real time."