Success story: Western International Market
Council, supported by the Mayor of London’s Retrofit Accelerator - Workplaces programme, has installed the largest roof-mounted solar PV array of any UK local authority, and the first to incorporate battery storage. The array was installed at Western International Market (WIM), West London’s largest flower and produce wholesale market – serving 80 wholesalers and buyers across London. The site is electricity intensive, consuming 3.5MW of electricity per year in providing climate controlled facilities, demonstrating the importance supplying the site with green electricity.
-
£247k
saved per year
-
£2.05m
invested
-
6069
PV panels installed
-
780
tCO2 saved per year
How the Retrofit Accelerator – Workplaces supported Western International Market?
The Retrofit Accelerator – Workplaces programme supported the project in the installation of 6,000 solar panels – which now generate almost half of the electricity used at the site. A battery storage system with advanced control software which optimises electricity consumption was also installed.
Impact
By taking advantage of the Retrofit Accelerator’s guaranteed energy and carbon savings, the council was able to save £247,000 across the first year of the project – including Feed-in-Tariffs and export tariffs. The council expects to recover its £2m solar and storage investment in well under seven years.
The council estimates the project will save £7.5m worth of costs over 20 years whilst contributing 2% to the council’s carbon reduction target.
Get in touch to find out more at [email protected] or visit our website.
Client testimonial
This solar PV and battery storage project demonstrates Hounslow’s aspiration to convert Western International Market to a zero-carbon site. It is a real business success story, and a great example of working together with the Retrofit Accelerator to put sustainable energy at the heart of future plans. In addition to the financial benefits, the project will provide carbon free power for decades, thereby underscoring the Council’s commitment to environmentally friendly projects via the largest public storage facility in the UK.