Mott MacDonald has unveiled Scotland’s largest solar power generating system last month as hundreds of solar panels were officially activated on the roof of Glasgow Sheriff Court. Mott MacDonald was appointed by the Scottish Court Service (SCS) to provide project management, mechanical and electrical performance design, cost planning, quantity surveying and technical advice and reviewing services for the project, which will significantly reduce the building’s carbon footprint. With an active area of 700m2 and an output of 97kWp in optimum conditions, the new Photovoltaic array installation constitutes Scotland’s largest solar power generating system. The hundreds of 1.3m x 1m solar panels will cut the court’s energy expenditure by an estimated GBP 20,000 per year, resulting in over 40,00kg reduction of carbon dioxide emissions -the equivalent to the CO2 produced by electricity use in 30 UK homes. The elevated position of the array, which cost GBP 500,000, on the court building’s roof ensures that the panels are rarely affected by shade from other buildings, optimising their efficiency. The output from the installation will be monitored through a meter in conjunction with a weather station installed on the roof, and the amount of electricity generated will be displayed via a page on the Glasgow Sheriff Court’s website. The system has generated 20,000kwh since going online in April. This is ahead of the estimate.
