Renewables

48.8kWp Ground-Mounted Solar PV and Battery System

A professionally designed, installed and commissioned 48.8kWp ground-mounted solar PV system in Cornwall, combining 104 AIKO panels with 72.8kWh of SolarEdge battery storage and comprehensive energy monitoring.

Cornwall

Maenporth Electrical Ltd designed, installed and commissioned this 48.8kWp ground-mounted solar PV and battery storage system in Cornwall. The completed renewable energy installation combines 104 high-output AIKO solar panels with SolarEdge inverters, power optimisers, energy metering and 72.8kWh of battery storage.

The system was designed to give the customer greater energy independence, support long-term savings and provide clear visibility of how energy is generated, stored and used. Through the SolarEdge monitoring platform, the customer can follow live solar generation, electricity import and export, battery activity and wider energy consumption trends.

Several rows of ground-mounted solar panels in a grassy clearing, with a small orange excavator, tools and a curving gravel track.

Every component was considered as part of the overall system, with the installation focused on performance, efficiency and long-term reliability. The work also included converting an existing store room into a purpose-built plant room, installing underground ducts for DC strings running more than 100 metres from the array, and providing a water supply at the array for cleaning access. The completed project is G99 compliant and MCS certified.

Project requirements and system design

The central requirement was to create a substantial ground-mounted solar PV installation supported by battery storage and detailed energy monitoring. Rather than providing solar generation alone, the system needed to give the customer a much clearer understanding of energy flows across the site.

The resulting installation brings solar generation, battery charging and discharging, grid import and export, and energy consumption information together through the SolarEdge platform. This gives the customer one accessible place from which to monitor the system and identify opportunities to make further energy savings.

Ground-mounted solar requires the generation equipment, supporting framework, inverter capacity, battery storage and monitoring equipment to operate as a coordinated system. For this project, Maenporth Electrical selected and installed equipment capable of meeting the required 48.8kWp solar capacity and 72.8kWh battery storage specification. The design also had to account for the array being situated more than 100 metres from the plant room.

Solar PV and battery system specification

The installation uses equipment from AIKO Solar and SolarEdge. Its full specification is:

104 × 470W AIKO solar panels
1 × 20kW three-phase SolarEdge inverter
2 × 10kW three-phase SolarEdge inverters
1 × 8kW three-phase SolarEdge inverter
15 × SolarEdge 48V Home Batteries
1 × SolarEdge Energy Meter
104 × SolarEdge S440 power optimisers

The completed array has a total stated solar capacity of 48.8kWp. Battery storage totals 72.8kWh, creating a sizeable storage element alongside the ground-mounted solar array.

The use of multiple three-phase inverters reflects the scale of the installation. The SolarEdge Energy Meter provides the information needed to display how electricity is moving between the solar PV system, batteries, customer loads and the grid. This metering is central to the visibility available through the monitoring platform.

AIKO solar panels and ground-mounted framework

The array consists of 104 AIKO solar panels, each rated at 470W. The modules are arranged across a dedicated metal mounting structure, creating a substantial low-level solar array within the Cornish site.

Using a ground-mounted arrangement allowed the complete panel array to be installed together as a purpose-built solar generation system. The mounting framework and panels form the external part of the installation, while the inverters, batteries, energy meter and associated electrical work complete the wider system.

SolarEdge power optimisers and inverters

Each of the 104 panels is paired with a SolarEdge S440 power optimiser. These devices form part of the SolarEdge system and work alongside the selected three-phase inverters.

The inverter specification comprises one 20kW unit, two 10kW units and one 8kW unit. Together, these units handle the conversion and management required within the solar installation. Careful coordination of the panels, optimisers, inverters, meter and storage equipment was necessary to create one integrated renewable energy system.

72.8kWh of battery storage

Fifteen SolarEdge 48V Home Batteries provide a total stated storage capacity of 72.8kWh. The batteries allow energy generated by the solar array to be stored rather than relying solely on immediate consumption or export.

The monitoring platform displays when the batteries are charging and discharging. This visibility helps the customer understand the relationship between current solar production, stored energy, electricity demand and interaction with the grid.

Store room conversion and purpose-built plant room

Before the DC equipment could be installed, the existing store room had to be cleared and prepared for its new purpose. The work included lining the walls with plywood and then adding fire board before mounting the DC equipment. This created a purpose-built plant room for the solar array and provided a dedicated location for the system’s internal equipment.

The completed plant room accommodates the electrical storage units and associated equipment needed to support the installation. Bringing the equipment together in a dedicated space allowed the inverters, batteries, metering and electrical connections to be arranged as coordinated parts of the overall design.

Utility room containing a washing machine, portable radiator, bicycle and timber shelving loaded with logs, with a bright ceiling strip light overhead.

Worker facing a plywood-lined wall in a small room, with a yellow step ladder, window and stacked wall boards visible.

Worker kneeling beside a long perforated metal cable tray among white electrical units, exposed cables, tools and boxes.

Rows of white floor-standing and wall-mounted electrical storage units in a white room, with red equipment cases stacked at the right.

Cable management formed an important part of this work, including the installation of metal cable tray around the equipment. On a system containing multiple inverters, 15 batteries, an energy meter and connections from 104 optimised panels, a structured and practical approach to cable containment was required for the finished installation.

Groundworks, ducting and the long DC cable route

The ground-mounted solar array is situated more than 100 metres away from the plant room. Connecting the two required new trenching and the installation of ducting to contain the DC strings. This underground route formed an essential link between the external array and the equipment housed inside the purpose-built plant room.

The groundworks also included installing a water supply within the trench. This provides cleaning accessibility for the array, allowing water to be available close to the panels rather than relying on a supply from the distant plant room area.

Worker kneeling in an excavated trench beside a black underground chamber, with a spirit level, bucket and spoil piles nearby.

Worker standing in a narrow trench behind a black chamber while a long spirit level rests across its square lid.

Installing the ducting and water supply within the trench meant the below-ground services could be incorporated into the wider project in a coordinated way. The DC strings could then be routed from the array to the plant room, where they connect with the SolarEdge equipment and the rest of the electrical installation.

Ground-mounted solar array installation

The physical work included constructing the metal ground-mounting framework and installing all 104 solar panels. The project photography records the development of the external array, from exposed mounting posts and support rails through to partially populated rows and the completed ground-mounted system.

Ground-mounted solar work calls for a practical, site-focused approach. The framework must support the complete panel layout, while the electrical installation must connect the array to the power optimisers, inverters, battery storage and monitoring equipment. Each element needs to be treated as part of the same coordinated design.

Long row of angled metal solar panel support frames under construction in a grassy field, with an orange mini excavator at the left.

A row of angled metal mounting frames beside ground-mounted solar panels on a lawn, with trees behind under a blue sky.

Two rows of ground-mounted solar panels in a grassy area, with a worker, compact machine, tools and gravel track visible.

For Maenporth Electrical, this meant combining renewable energy expertise with the electrical capability required for a large three-phase installation. The result is a complete solar and battery storage system rather than a standalone panel array.

SolarEdge monitoring and energy visibility

A key feature of the project is the level of information available to the customer through the SolarEdge monitoring platform. The installation does more than generate and store electricity: it also provides visibility of how energy is moving through the system.

The customer can monitor:

Live solar generation, showing current production from the ground-mounted array.
Electricity import and export, providing visibility of interaction with the grid.
Battery charging and discharging, showing when energy is moving into or out of the 72.8kWh storage system.
Energy consumption trends, helping the customer understand patterns in electricity use.
Opportunities for further energy savings, based on a clearer view of generation and consumption.

This information gives the customer greater control over their energy. Instead of viewing solar generation, battery storage and electricity use as separate elements, the platform presents them as connected parts of the same energy system.

Live information can help the customer see when the array is producing electricity and how that generation relates to site demand. Import and export data shows when electricity is being drawn from or supplied to the grid, while battery information makes stored-energy activity visible. Longer-term consumption trends can then support more informed decisions about energy use.

Compliance, certification and commissioning

The completed installation is G99 compliant. G99 requirements are relevant to the connection of generation equipment operating in parallel with the electricity network, making compliance an important part of a three-phase solar installation of this scale.

The project is also MCS certified. The complete solar PV and battery storage system was professionally designed, installed and commissioned by Maenporth Electrical Ltd.

Commissioning brought the different elements together as an operational system. For this project, that included the AIKO panels, SolarEdge S440 power optimisers, four three-phase inverters, 15 batteries, the SolarEdge Energy Meter and monitoring platform.

The handover provided the customer with a completed renewable energy installation and the ability to view its operation through the SolarEdge platform. This includes the information needed to monitor generation, import, export, battery activity and energy consumption.

A substantial renewable energy system in Cornwall

Maenporth Electrical is proud to have handed over this 48.8kWp ground-mounted solar PV and 72.8kWh battery storage system. It is a substantial installation that combines renewable generation with energy storage, detailed monitoring, a dedicated plant room and an underground DC cable route of more than 100 metres.

The customer’s trust made the project possible, and the finished system was created with long-term performance, efficiency and reliability in mind. Its combination of solar generation and battery storage is intended to support energy independence and long-term savings, while the monitoring platform gives the customer clear visibility of energy usage.

Rows of ground-mounted solar panels across a grassy clearing, with a small orange excavator, tools and a gravel track.

Maenporth Electrical Ltd delivers practical solar and renewable energy solutions for commercial premises, industrial operations and larger rural sites across Cornwall. This project demonstrates the company’s ability to manage the electrical, groundworks and renewable elements of a sizeable three-phase solar and battery installation.

Considering commercial solar or battery storage?

Businesses and larger sites considering ways to reduce energy bills or invest in commercial solar can speak to Maenporth Electrical about a bespoke renewable energy solution. The company can assess the required solar generation, battery storage and monitoring elements as part of an integrated electrical design.

Maenporth Electrical Ltd is based in Maenporth and works across Cornwall, including Falmouth, Penryn, Newquay, Truro and surrounding areas. To discuss commercial solar PV, battery storage or a wider renewable energy project, call 01326 250297.

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