Commercial solar PV · Brixton, London

Rooftop solar for a coworking space

Rooftop solar PV for a coworking space in Brixton, designed, supplied and installed by Arc Renewables.

Approx. 36 kWp

Ballasted, non-penetrative rooftop solar PV on a flat commercial roof

At a Glance

Location

Brixton, London

Building

Coworking space, flat roof

System

Approx. 36 kWp rooftop PV

Modules

76 monocrystalline panels

Inverter

30 kW, three phase

Instruments in scope

Mounting

Connection

G99, export limited

Arc scope

Consult, design, supply, install

The brief

On-site generation, without disrupting the building

The operator runs the building as flexible coworking space in Brixton. The brief was to reduce the building’s grid-imported electricity and support the operator’s sustainability position, using the available flat roof, without disrupting tenants and without compromising the roof’s waterproofing.

The building is on a fixed electricity tariff to the end of 2030, so every unit generated on site displaces imported electricity at a known rate. That fixed price gives the saving a clear value across the early years of the system’s life.

The site

A high-level flat roof, already in use

The building has a flat, felt-covered roof at high level with masonry parapets and a clear, largely unshaded aspect across south London. The roof already carried mechanical plant, a telecommunications installation and cable trays, so the design had to work around the existing layout.

The electrical intake is a three-phase board rated at 200A, which suited the chosen inverter. The building is served by 29 separate supply points, so the correct point for the connection was confirmed rather than assumed.

The system

Ballasted, non-penetrative, single specification

The array was designed as a ballasted, non-penetrative installation. Weight is spread across the roof structure through ballast rather than fixings, which protects the existing felt covering and avoids creating new penetrations and the waterproofing risk that comes with them.

Arc carried a single, clearly specified scheme through design and procurement: 76 monocrystalline modules on a ballasted aluminium frame, feeding one 30 kW three-phase inverter, with export limitation to meet the network connection terms.

How we delivered it

Six workstreams, run in parallel

Arc progressed the commercial, financial, grid and safety workstreams at the same time, so the programme was not held up by any single dependency.

Proposal and yield

A desktop study and an industry-standard yield model underpinned a single, clearly specified scheme, with the funded route set out as a simple step-by-step path from order to commissioning.

Procurement

Mounting, modules and the balance of system, the G99 relay, export limitation, MID metering, MCS certification and commissioning. A module specification point and the ballast quantity were resolved before the order was committed.

Funding

A funded route was offered through a specialist third-party asset finance broker, spreading the cost over the term with no upfront capital. First-year capital allowances are available where the asset is purchased.

Grid connection

A G99 application was made to the local network operator. Across 29 supply points the correct connection point was identified and confirmed, and export limitation kept the connection within the operator’s terms.

Health and safety

A method statement and risk assessment were issued to the building manager and five coordination points closed before works began. Checks covered the asbestos register, contractor accreditation and the lift’s safe working load.

Installation

The ballasted frame was set out on protective feet with no penetration of the membrane, modules in low-tilt rows, cabling on non-penetrative tray into the inverter, with temporary edge protection throughout.

Outcomes

A commissioned array, and a roof left intact

The result is a commissioned solar PV array of approximately 36 kWp generating renewable electricity on site for a coworking space. Generation displaces grid import against a tariff fixed to the end of 2030, which gives the saving a known value for each unit displaced.

The non-penetrative method preserved the roof’s waterproofing and warranty position. Taking materials up through the building’s own passenger lift removed the need for an external hoist or scaffold tower, and with it the cost and street disruption that come with external access plant.

About Arc Renewables

We consult, design, supply and install renewable energy systems

Regulated and accredited

RICS
ISO 9001
ISO 14001
CHAS Accreditation Standard
NAPIT
MCS

From feasibility and yield through grid connection, health and safety and installation, Arc carries commercial solar projects end to end. If you have a roof and a question about whether it stacks up, we are happy to take a look.

get in touch

Get in touch with our team.

A fifteen-minute call is enough to understand your asset, your objective, and your decision context and to tell you whether Arc can add value in your situation.

Book a consultation

or call 0203 813 6171

Independent renewable energy consultancy for UK commercial real estate. Regulated by RICS. Investor-literate advice.

0203 813 6171 info@arcrenewables.co.uk

21 Abbeville Mews, 88 Clapham Park Road, London SW4 7BX