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Edinburgh renewables firm Solar Kingdom Limited has been nominated for one of the industry’s prestigious awards.

Last year they won one of the main categories and this year they are nominated for an award in the Best Residential PV Project.

The project which has come to the notice of the judges is called The Unpromising House which at first glance would not appear to have much scope for solar technology. Its age and construction meant that its performance was well below what would qualify for Feed In Tariff support However its energy efficiency has been increased so that it now meets the necessary criteria, and space heating in the home costs less.

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Available south facing roof space was limited, so the majority of the solar panels were applied on the east and west roofs, not the most widely adopted solution, but through use of state of the art equipment it generates the required amount of electricity with a flatter, smoother production curve.

The solar PV panels are integrated into the roof, and operate with cutting edge electronic equipment that maximises output.  This is coupled to what is thought to be the first Tesla Powerwall battery storage system installed in Scotland.

For Peter Randall, owner of Solar Kingdom this has been a further expression of his passion for, and commitment to the solar industry. He commented,  “This project has been an exciting challenge allowing us to incorporate the very best equipment currently available. It is a great affirmation of what these brilliant technologies provide, showing that with the right support solar plus storage will continue to grow into a vital part of the UK energy mix.  The system is a microcosm of the most scalable energy technology available.  Nothing else is as accessible or provides this level of energy independence.”

He continued, “Anyone passing would have to look hard to even see this house has solar panels fitted, and would never know that it probably has the smallest electricity bill in the street.  This is truly a solar home”.

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.