BBC Wales has gone solar with a 120kWp rooftop system installed atop its £100 million new broadcast centre in Cardiff.

Renewables installer Dulas was commissioned by electrical firm Evans Electrical to conduct the work, which the former said utilises a new inverter technology.

The array is made up of separate systems across a number of distinct rooftop areas which Dulas said presented a number of technical challenges. A more complex, but efficient layout was settled on to maximise generation from the available roof space.

Dulas engineers worked across four weeks late last year to install panels and lay on-roof cable before returning to the site in January to finalise electrical work and install other components such as inverters, meters and isolators.

The new inverters, manufactured by SMA – the manufacturer’s Sunny Tripower Core1 model – are some of the first of their kind to be installed in the UK and have been designed specifically to maximise efficiency within compact installations.

Claire Toland, UK solar project manager at Dulas, said the team had produced a system that would “deliver real value” for the flagship new build.

“Rooftop solar is becoming an increasingly common and financially attractive option for both public and private institutions looking to reduce energy costs and meet high sustainability and building standards,” she said.