In 2023, Proterra Energy carried out a feasibility study to assess renewable energy options for the Old School House and outbuildings at Kinlochteacuis. The Clients wanted to offset on-site electricity consumption and provide improved resilience to power outages. Consumption at the time was considerable, largely due to heat pumps installed at the property.
The initial study reviewed the potential for both micro hydro generation and expansion of the existing roof-mounted solar installation. While a micro hydro scheme was technically feasible, environmental considerations and land ownership constraints made development disproportionate to the scale of the project. A large ground-mounted solar solution was therefore selected as the most practical option.
Following detailed design, Proterra Energy installed a 18kW ground-mounted solar array consisting of 42 panels, supported by 30.8kWh of lithium-ion battery storage. The system was designed to prioritise on-site energy use, supplying local demand directly before storing excess generation within the battery system. Surplus energy can be diverted to hot water heating, with the whole system being intelligently controlled by the Vicrton Cerbo GX.
The inclusion of Victron inverter technology enables the system to provide backup power during grid outages without interruption, delivering the energy resilience required. Additional to the solar generation, the system was designed to include a generator in the future, providing further back-up capability. This is particularly useful during the winter months when solar generation is significantly limited.
Following 6 months of generation the Client extended the battery bank to 62kWh capacity to take advantage of the generation through the spring, summer and autumn months, giving greater assurance of offgrid backup power during outages.
The initial study reviewed the potential for both micro hydro generation and expansion of the existing roof-mounted solar installation. While a micro hydro scheme was technically feasible, environmental considerations and land ownership constraints made development disproportionate to the scale of the project. A large ground-mounted solar solution was therefore selected as the most practical option.
Following detailed design, Proterra Energy installed a 18kW ground-mounted solar array consisting of 42 panels, supported by 30.8kWh of lithium-ion battery storage. The system was designed to prioritise on-site energy use, supplying local demand directly before storing excess generation within the battery system. Surplus energy can be diverted to hot water heating, with the whole system being intelligently controlled by the Vicrton Cerbo GX.
The inclusion of Victron inverter technology enables the system to provide backup power during grid outages without interruption, delivering the energy resilience required. Additional to the solar generation, the system was designed to include a generator in the future, providing further back-up capability. This is particularly useful during the winter months when solar generation is significantly limited.
Following 6 months of generation the Client extended the battery bank to 62kWh capacity to take advantage of the generation through the spring, summer and autumn months, giving greater assurance of offgrid backup power during outages.
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