Renewable energy developer, Inazin Power who has been nominated for a Solar Power Portal award, has described the solar industry at SEUK this year as “buzzing”.
Talking to Solar Power Portal at Solar Energy UK 2013, Chloe Jacquet, project control and asset management for Inazin Power, said: “It’s really interesting, there are lots of people talking, lots of enthusiasm and lots of good feedback, it’s really buzzing this year – there’s a sense of optimism for what the [solar] industry is doing.”
Inazin Power specialises in ground-mount solar projects, and has been nominated with Low Carbon, Abaskus Solar and G2 Energy for developing Wilmingham Solar Park, the largest solar project in the Isle of Wight.
The 7.5MW project is over 58 acres, screened by forests and next to the sea, aiding the installation with a cooling sea breeze maximising the panels efficiency by regulating temperatures. There were no planning application objections, and the project benefits from 60% less rainfall than the UK and better solar irradiation due to its more southern location, said Jacquet.
The project took around eight to 10 weeks to install with 60 lorries being bought in by ferry to the island. “It was the worst winter which was a real challenge, as well as industry uncertainty and challenges to funding, and changes to the FiTs,” said Stuart Homewood, development manager for Inazin Power.
Jacquet said to have the project recognised with a Solar Power Portal award short listing is “amazing”, after the “incredible team effort, with legal, planning, EPC to funding, all working together. Any project on its own is an achievement, to be recognised by the industry was a pat on the back.”
John Hawkes, managing director of electrical contractor, J T Hawkes who also worked on the Isle of Wight project, said it “deserves an award for the sheer logistics.” Jacquet explained further that “There were installers up to their wastes in muddy trenches and a tight deadline, being nominated [for an award] really makes a difference,” she said.
At Solar Energy UK Inazin is “talking to land owners, looking to buy and sell projects and network. We usually exhibit at agriculture shows, but after being nominated for a Solar Power Portal Award, we wanted to come to SEUK 2013,” said Jacquet.
On the awards evening later tonight Jacquet said Inazin is “very much looking forward to the awards.”
Asked about the trend in commercial rooftop this year, despite the different skills set and Inazin specialising in ground mount, Jacquet said “If rooftop comes along, we would take it.”
Homewood added Inazin is “Looking forward to future sites, with the new planning terms [the solar ten commitments] and grid connection challenges.”
Inazin Solar is exhibiting at stand H38B at Solar Energy UK
