Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Installation in Vale of Glamorgan
This 18th Century former corn barn has been tastefully converted into a comfortable modern family-run guest house which still retains many of the building’s original features and character.
Set in the tiny hamlet of Lillypot just outside Bonvilson, The Great Barn Guest House with its tranquil gardens and commanding views over the Vale of Glamorgan provides guests with the perfect setting for a relaxing and restful stay.
The Problem:
Andrew and Nina Parker, the owners of this busy bed and breakfast business were finding that their running costs for electricity and heating were becoming a major expense. They rely on LPG for their heating so were keen to explore any opportunities to reduce their outgoings. As an architect, Andrew wanted to ensure that any solution they found would not affect the character of their home.
The Solution:
WDS Green Energy installed a 6kW solar PV array to produce electricity and to help reduce the running costs of the guest house. Bearing in mind Andrew’s wish to keep the beauty of The Great Barns untouched, he chose to use black panels which are neatly tucked away on the west-facing roof. Although this orientation would lose a percentage of yield as opposed to an array orientated due south, the beautiful front façade of The Great Barn was left untouched.
The Benefits:
The solar PV panels have reduced the electrical running costs for Great Barn guest house and are also providing a quarterly income from the Feed-in Tariff.
The use of black panels on the slate roof is aesthetically pleasing and unobtrusive compared with other systems.
The PV-clad roof blends in well with the other buildings in this west-facing entrance courtyard and many visitors who enter the Great Barns do not notice the PV array just above them.
