Helios will help you on your journey in discovering how easy it is to install your own solar electricity generating equipment – and we’ll then be there to monitor and maintain your asset for the lifetime of the system.
Once you have made the decision to discover the options available to you to generate your own green energy, where do you start and what is the process?
The great news is that nearly almost all projects follow the same, easy, straightforward path.
Helios have designed this path to minimise development risk whilst keeping our customers informed of each step on your simple journey to lower energy bills, reduced CO2 emissions and a greener future.
The first step of any journey is often the most important and the development of a solar PV array is no different.
With 12 months half-hourly demand data, a copy of your most recent electricity bill, and confirmation of the building(s)/land in mind, we will analyse your information to determine the optimum size of system based on your motivation for “going green”.
Once we have determined the correct system size we will put a preliminary proposal together.
Our preliminary proposal is 30% financial and 70% technical, and will cover –
• Size and approximate layout of the system
• Output
• Operational costs
• Carbon reduction figures
At this early stage, we don’t want to bamboozle you with loads and loads of data. You’ll know what you’re paying for your electricity costs and you’ll probably know how long this system will take to pay for itself from the electricity savings you’ll benefit from (we can help you though if you can’t)!
All we are likely to know about your site is what we have been able to glean from your data and Google Maps. However, this proposal is sufficiently detailed enough to allow us to review some of the reasons why a solar array might not be right for your business before either party commits too much time or resource on something that is unlikely to progress past the concept stage in the short/medium-term.
If the preliminary proposal stacks up, the next step is to fully assess the proposed location. Our technical survey usually takes a morning and will involve 3 of our team – all with varying skillsets – visiting site to measure and understand the many different variables on site.
It’s at this stage that we will require a small deposit to cover our costs that is refundable from the overall installation cost should you choose to proceed with our service.
Our technical survey includes –
• G99 application
• Independent structural assessment
• Roof condition assessment
• Scaffold and access assessment
• Electrical integration assessment
• Health and safety appraisal
We should be able to gather all the information we require during this visit but it may require additional visits – usually by a single member of our team – if there are any changes to the scope as a result of what we discover.
Assuming the outcome of the survey is positive, we will return to you with a formal proposal.
This proposal will be similar to the preliminary version but will include much more detail around how we would deliver the project.
We will confirm the system design and output as well as the scaffold and access arrangements. Most critically we will confirm how long it will take to deliver the project, the level of disruption you can expect (if any) and any power outages that may be required.
Once you have agreed to move forward with your project and have signed our supply contract, we will draft, submit and progress either a Permitted Development application or full planning application.
A solar array qualifies for Permitted Development if –
• The total installed capacity is under 1MW
• The panels sit less than 200mm from the plane of the roof
• There is a 1m border between the outer panels and the roof
If your solar array does not satisfy all of these criteria then a full planning application will be required.
As soon as we have the appropriate permissions in place we move into the delivery phase.
We work closely with your teams to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum whilst immersing ourselves in the specific rules of the site.
Once the system has been successfully delivered and has been operational for several weeks, we will arrange a detailed handover with you to again take you through the various procedures you might need to be aware of.
This will include shutting down the system in an emergency, as well as starting the system back up in the event that it needed to be shut down.
We will also run through your online monitoring portal with you so that you can check the real-time performance of the array – although most clients prefer to set automated reports that are sent to their inbox once a month; these are almost infinitely customisable and can contain detail such as:
• Output of system
• Consumption of solar power
• Level of export to grid
Most clients prefer their solar installations to integrate seamlessly into their operations without the need for additional management.
Our tailored operations and maintenance packages allow Helios to worry about the performance of your system while you focus on your core activities.
We do not offer multiple O&M packages; we only provide a full monitoring and annual Operations & Maintenance solution on your behalf with swift-action if the system appears to be under-performing. Moreover, because we use monitoring software used throughout the country, we can benchmark the performance of your array against systems in your area – not just against the projections in an algorithm.
