The solar plant, which is being developed by the environmental consulting division of Grupo Inel, is scheduled for grid connection by the end of first quarter of 2010. The project will use thin film Unisolar modules wired in parallel using Sustainable Energy’s paraplex architecture.
Robert Bucher, president & CEO of Sustainable Energy, said: “Commercial rooftop PV systems are moving to the mainstream and this project underscores the growing demand for the superior energy yield, the long term reliability, the low cost of ownership and the inherent safety of Sustainable Energy’s trademark Paraplex operating system. Working with trusted partner Grupo Inel, we are proud to be assisting Leroy Merlin in becoming a leader in sustainable building management.”
The solar power plant will enable Leroy Merlin store to exceed the output in kW that superstores in its category are required to generate under the Spanish technical building code. The project also forms an integral part of the company’s plan, ‘Leroy Merlin Verde,’ developed by the Environmental Consulting Division of Grupo Inel.
Paraplex is a solar power system architecture enabling thin film solar modules to be wired in a massively parallel array. Built on Sustainable Energy’s patented inverter technology, the Paraplex architecture enables each solar module to operate independently of any other module in the system, delivering a 5-15% increased energy yield, without the expensive hardware and continuing maintenance cost of micro-inverter products. Every module delivers its maximum power potential, while eliminating the string inverter impact of shading, soiling and other real world factors.
Leroy Merlin Paraplex installation covers a surface of 8.000 square meters and includes six Sunergy inverters with a total of 105 thin film modules of 288Wp. The 31,000Wp commercial rooftop power system will help the home-improvement and gardening retailer meet its goal of becoming a sustainable facility.
Jose Molinero, environmental consultant of Grupo Inel, said: “We have selected the Paraplex system for its suitability to meet the requirements laid by a customer as important as Leroy Merlin. Extra low voltages mean extra safety and reliability. This has been a very good experience for us and we are looking forward to working with Paraplex again.”
