Solarcentury
Encyclopedia
Solarcentury is a business which designs and installs solar systems for buildings in the UK and continental Europe, and provides wholesale solar products.
The Solarcentury head office is in London UK, with other offices in Italy and France. It currently employs over 120 staff.
Solarcentury was established to address the threat of climate change by reducing CO2 emissions through the application of solar energy; its purpose is to make a big difference in the fight against climate change and revolutionise the global energy market. Solarcentury works according to a strict set of principles and has gained a host of industry awards in recognition of its business and products. Awards and accreditations include ISO 9001 certification in 2010, the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2011, listed in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 Award in 2011 and two years prior and over a number of previous years. Solarcentury has been recognised by EMAS (the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) as a company that is striving to continuously improve its environmental performance.
Solarcentury has an in house innovation team that has developed its own product portfolio. The parts have been selected to ensure high power output and longetivity, the products have been developed to have high compatibility with a range of roof and tile styles, they have been rigorously tested to ensure they can withstand wind, fire and rain, and the installation methodology has been developed to ensure that the products are easy to install.
The most successful and well know product is undoubtedly the C21e solar photovoltaic tiles and slates for which they have won a host of awards. The C21e solar electric roof tile replaces 4 conventional roof tiles and screws straight to roof battens, making the installation of solar easier and more aesthetically pleasing than ever before. In 2008 a new version of the C21e was released for slate roofs that has proved a favourite on listed buildings and in conservation areas.
The C21e range won the Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2011.
Solarcentury is an accredited member of The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). All the products sold are certified by MCS, and all the members of its Installer Network are MCS accredited.
Solarcentury has evolved from a solar installation company to a business that project manages PV installations, manufacturers their own products and offers a distribution service to the growing number of MCS accredited installers in their Installer Network. They host webinars and provide on site training for roofers interested in installing solar on roof tops.
was born; a charity that increases access to solar PV technology to help combat climate change and alleviate poverty in rural Africa by installing solar on schools, community centres and clinics, and by creating jobs and businesses for people to generate income.
www.solarcentury.co.uk
One of the most well known Solarcentury installations is the CIS tower
in Manchester, UK, where solar cladding was used to replace the old, damaged cladding and create a solar PV array with a generation capacity of 391 kWp.
The CIS project created the largest commercial solar facade in Europe, and is one of the largest PV systems in the UK. It demonstrates how Solar Rain Screen Cladding can be readily incorporated into building refurbishments to provide an extremely cost effective alternative to conventional cladding materials.
The CIS solar tower will generate enough electricity to light 61 average three-bed houses every year. http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite?cid=1116834043897&pagename=CoopBank/Page/tplBlank&c=Page
One of Solarcentury's newest projects includes the world’s largest solar bridge at Blackfrairs.The new Blackfriars station – which is being built on a bridge spanning the River Thames – is on its way to becoming the world’s largest solar bridge as Solarcentury begins the installation of over 4,400 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Other projects include the UK's first solar street of 23 new affordable, stylish and low carbon homes in Henley Way, Rotherham, built by South Yorkshire Housing Association’s (SYHA).
Every home on the development has been installed with Solarcentury’s CompleteSolarRoof system. This is a low carbon building product which allows housebuilders to use solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal to help reduce the carbon emissions of a new home by generating clean, renewable electricity in a silent and unobtrusive way.
The CompleteSolarRoof from Solarcentury is a system of solar PV and solar thermal roof tiles that, to the observer, look exactly like standard roof tiles. However, consisting of C21e (solar electric) tiles and C21t (solar thermal) titles, the CompleteSolarRoof generates electricity and hot water for the home.
Offering significant savings on the householder’s energy bills, the C21t tiles in a standard installation are expected to generate over 60% of the hot water requirements of the three-bedroom homes while the C21e tiles require just 8 m2 per kWp to generate 850kWh of electricity per year. It is expected that each house will generate 2,500kWh of electricity per year, equating to a saving of 1.5 tonnes of CO2.
Meanwhile, the excess electricity generated is not wasted, as it is simply exported to the national grid, which pays a fee back to the householder – making the savings twofold.
visit www.solarcentury.co.uk for more information on solarcentury
History
The company was founded in 1998 by energy expert Jeremy Leggett (Chairman), to design and supply solar energy solutions for the built environment. Derry Newman, CEO, joined the company in 2006 after over ten years at Sony Europe. He was appointed Senior Vice President Operations, Sony Europe in 2003 and was subsequently appointed Managing Director, Sony United Kingdom in June 2004.The Solarcentury head office is in London UK, with other offices in Italy and France. It currently employs over 120 staff.
Solarcentury was established to address the threat of climate change by reducing CO2 emissions through the application of solar energy; its purpose is to make a big difference in the fight against climate change and revolutionise the global energy market. Solarcentury works according to a strict set of principles and has gained a host of industry awards in recognition of its business and products. Awards and accreditations include ISO 9001 certification in 2010, the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2011, listed in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 Award in 2011 and two years prior and over a number of previous years. Solarcentury has been recognised by EMAS (the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) as a company that is striving to continuously improve its environmental performance.
Innovation
Solarcentury specialises in building integrated solar photovoltaics (PV) for which it is the UK market leader. Systems are installed both on new buildings and are retro-fitted to existing buildings. Solarcentury supplies a complete range of products allowing solar to be installed on practically every type of roof, from pitched roofs on homes through to large flat or pitched commercial, industrial and agricultural buildings, to systems mounted at ground level.Solarcentury has an in house innovation team that has developed its own product portfolio. The parts have been selected to ensure high power output and longetivity, the products have been developed to have high compatibility with a range of roof and tile styles, they have been rigorously tested to ensure they can withstand wind, fire and rain, and the installation methodology has been developed to ensure that the products are easy to install.
The most successful and well know product is undoubtedly the C21e solar photovoltaic tiles and slates for which they have won a host of awards. The C21e solar electric roof tile replaces 4 conventional roof tiles and screws straight to roof battens, making the installation of solar easier and more aesthetically pleasing than ever before. In 2008 a new version of the C21e was released for slate roofs that has proved a favourite on listed buildings and in conservation areas.
The C21e range won the Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2011.
Solarcentury is an accredited member of The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). All the products sold are certified by MCS, and all the members of its Installer Network are MCS accredited.
Solarcentury has evolved from a solar installation company to a business that project manages PV installations, manufacturers their own products and offers a distribution service to the growing number of MCS accredited installers in their Installer Network. They host webinars and provide on site training for roofers interested in installing solar on roof tops.
Charitable work
The founders of Solarcentury wrote into its constitution that the company would donate 5% of its net profit to set up a charity to help poor communities in developing countries access solar power. In 2006 Solarcentury made profit and SolarAidSolarAid
SolarAid is a British international development charity that promotes the use of solar energy to help reduce global poverty and climate change. SolarAid installs solar photovoltaic systems, for community centres, medical clinics, schools and other communal buildings. It also trains local...
was born; a charity that increases access to solar PV technology to help combat climate change and alleviate poverty in rural Africa by installing solar on schools, community centres and clinics, and by creating jobs and businesses for people to generate income.
See also
- Solar energy
- PhotovoltaicsPhotovoltaicsPhotovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
- Solar thermal energySolar thermal energySolar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy . Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United States Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low-temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat...
- Building-integrated photovoltaics
www.solarcentury.co.uk
Installations
Solarcentury have completed over 1000 large installations, and thousands of home installations, as well as 150 installations for schools through the Solar4Schools http://Solar4schools.co.uk programme. The total installed capacity at the end of 2008 was about 6 MWp.CIS Tower
The Co-operative Insurance Tower, or CIS Tower, is an office tower building on Miller Street in Manchester, England. It was completed in 1962 and rises to 387 feet in height. The Grade II listed building, which houses Co-operative Financial Services, a part of The Co-operative Group, is...
in Manchester, UK, where solar cladding was used to replace the old, damaged cladding and create a solar PV array with a generation capacity of 391 kWp.
The CIS project created the largest commercial solar facade in Europe, and is one of the largest PV systems in the UK. It demonstrates how Solar Rain Screen Cladding can be readily incorporated into building refurbishments to provide an extremely cost effective alternative to conventional cladding materials.
The CIS solar tower will generate enough electricity to light 61 average three-bed houses every year. http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite?cid=1116834043897&pagename=CoopBank/Page/tplBlank&c=Page
One of Solarcentury's newest projects includes the world’s largest solar bridge at Blackfrairs.The new Blackfriars station – which is being built on a bridge spanning the River Thames – is on its way to becoming the world’s largest solar bridge as Solarcentury begins the installation of over 4,400 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Other projects include the UK's first solar street of 23 new affordable, stylish and low carbon homes in Henley Way, Rotherham, built by South Yorkshire Housing Association’s (SYHA).
Every home on the development has been installed with Solarcentury’s CompleteSolarRoof system. This is a low carbon building product which allows housebuilders to use solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal to help reduce the carbon emissions of a new home by generating clean, renewable electricity in a silent and unobtrusive way.
The CompleteSolarRoof from Solarcentury is a system of solar PV and solar thermal roof tiles that, to the observer, look exactly like standard roof tiles. However, consisting of C21e (solar electric) tiles and C21t (solar thermal) titles, the CompleteSolarRoof generates electricity and hot water for the home.
Offering significant savings on the householder’s energy bills, the C21t tiles in a standard installation are expected to generate over 60% of the hot water requirements of the three-bedroom homes while the C21e tiles require just 8 m2 per kWp to generate 850kWh of electricity per year. It is expected that each house will generate 2,500kWh of electricity per year, equating to a saving of 1.5 tonnes of CO2.
Meanwhile, the excess electricity generated is not wasted, as it is simply exported to the national grid, which pays a fee back to the householder – making the savings twofold.
See also
- Solar energy
- PhotovoltaicsPhotovoltaicsPhotovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
- Solar thermal energySolar thermal energySolar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy . Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United States Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low-temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat...
- Building-integrated photovoltaics
visit www.solarcentury.co.uk for more information on solarcentury