Total solar solutions increasingly urgent

The use of solar panels in construction projects has increased dramatically in recent years. With sufficient mounting area, solar energy is a source that quickly provides a lot of renewable generation, so it is very popular. Customization is required, because feeding it back to the grid is not always possible. There are various solutions for this, says project manager for business Selmir Avdic of specialist installer Solar Concept, which offers total concepts for the business market (generation, storage and discharge).

In Oss, generation using the grid was chosen, supported by custom solutions: one in terms of the location of the panels in relation to the sun and dynamic power control. Solar Concept does this to regulate the peaks in supplied energy. For example, with an east-west positioning of the panels on the flat roof of the stores in the new Walk Quarter. Avdic: "Often solar panels are installed facing south, but then you have a high supply peak at a certain part of the day; with an east-west situation you get a more even distribution throughout the day."

Power control

The flat roof provides energy for the central technical systems in the center plan. Mounting on a structure of steel beams is also provided for in the design, in cooperation with general contractor Berghege. The second solution for Walkwartier is dynamic power control. Avdic: "An intelligent system that 'pinches' the inverter when too much power comes in during supply peaks. The peaks in consumption still require a grid connection; however, dynamic power control is also very suitable for expanding the systems, for example with more solar panels that you then use dynamically."

One-stop-shop

The panels in Oss are standard panels; variants are already available that even generate energy from back irradiation, Avdic says. The development of the solar panels used in the Walkwartier has also been rapid in recent years. "For example, you no longer see the diodes; the appearance of the panels is uniformly black," he says. And the east-west situation makes for stylish roofs. "So it can look pretty, too. This is another reason why it is important to use a specialist one-stop shop. Like Internet providers, we provide the total product - in this case solar energy systems, and we assemble with our own people."

Home Battery

In the future, Solar Concept expects a lot from systems that operate independently of the grid. "You have to think of battery storage for the energy not used. It is already possible for companies and individuals to charge their fleets with energy from their own solar panels; everyone will soon have a home battery for storage. We see projects like Walkwartier as an opportunity to use energy locally. Our parent company Essent also believes that customized services are the solution to current grid congestion problems," Avdic concludes.