Case Study · Commercial Solar Brighton

151kW of solar
for T. Reeve & Sons

We’re turning T. Reeve & Sons’ large, unused industrial roof in Brighton into a long-term energy-generating asset, with a heavy-duty commercial system built around the Sungrow ecosystem.

Explore the Project Discuss Your Project
In collaboration with SUNGROW
On the roof in Brighton
System size
151.875kWp
Sungrow 625W modules
243modules
Sungrow inverter capacity
150kW
Annual generation Projected
~142,919kWh
Project at a Glance
ClientT. Reeve & Sons Ltd
LocationBrighton & Hove
Optimisation & ProtectionTigo · SolaSkirt
StatusInstallation underway
The Project

Putting a big roof
to work

T. Reeve & Sons had a lot of roof space that wasn’t doing anything. Their Brighton premises use about 138,000 kWh of electricity a year, and that roof is now becoming one of the business’s most useful assets.

Sol4r Energy designed a 151.875kWp solar PV system across several bays of the site’s corrugated industrial roof. It is 243 Sungrow 625W panels feeding 150kW of Sungrow commercial inverters, with Tigo module-level optimisation and SolaSkirt bird protection, built for performance and reliability over the long term.

Our team is now on site, working through the installation one bay at a time.

Rows of Sungrow solar panels across the T. Reeve and Sons industrial roof, with Brighton houses beyond
Powered by Sungrow

Sungrow technology at the heart of the system

Both the generation and the power conversion on this project use Sungrow equipment. The modules turn sunlight into DC electricity, and Sungrow commercial string inverters convert it to AC for use on site. Sol4r Energy delivered the project in collaboration with Sungrow.

243

Sungrow 625W solar modules

SG-78TG1D-625

Together they make up the full 151.875kWp array across the roof.

3

Sungrow 50kW string inverters

SG50CX-P2

150kW of combined inverter capacity, converting the array’s DC output for the site.

3

Sungrow WiNet-S2 modules

Wireless communication

Connect each inverter for remote monitoring, parameter settings and firmware updates.

Explore Sungrow Technology (opens in a new tab) Sungrow string inverters
Sungrow 625W modules installed in rows across the T. Reeve and Sons roof under a cloudy Brighton sky
150kWSungrow inverter capacity across 3 × SG50CX-P2
System Design

How the system fits together

Four main components, each with its own job: generate, optimise, convert and protect.

T. Reeve and Sons system architecture 243 Sungrow 625W modules, with 83 Tigo TS4-A-O optimisers on selected modules and SolaSkirt around the array, feed three Sungrow SG50CX-P2 50kW inverters, which supply the site. Each inverter has a WiNet-S2 module for monitoring. SOLASKIRT · ARRAY EDGE 243 × Sungrow 625W 151.875kWp DC array 83 × Tigo TS4-A-O on selected modules DC Sungrow SG50CX-P250kW · WiNet-S2 Sungrow SG50CX-P250kW · WiNet-S2 Sungrow SG50CX-P250kW · WiNet-S2 150kW inverter capacity AC T. Reeve & Sons site supply Commercial premises, Brighton
Simplified diagram, not to scale. Swipe to see the full diagram. Module and optimiser layout is shown for illustration only.
Long rows of solar panels laid along a corrugated roof bay at T. Reeve and Sons, Brighton

Engineered around a working roof

An industrial roof is never a blank canvas. Rooflights, extraction flues and vents run across every bay, so we designed the layout around them.

  • Seven array groups spread across the roof bays, each laid out to avoid rooflights and roof furniture.
  • Mixed mounting: most panels sit flush with the roof, while 41 go on tilt racks at 10° and 20° to get more out of the flatter sections.
  • Module-level optimisation: 83 Tigo TS4-A-O optimisers on selected panels across the array.
  • Bird-proofed from day one with SolaSkirt around the array edges.
  • Energy metering: three-phase power sensors measure the site’s demand alongside solar generation.
30 YearsPanel product warranty
30 YearsPanel performance warranty
MCS & NAPITCertified installation, with HIES consumer protection
Projected Performance

Projected annual generation

Projected annual generation

This figure shows roughly how much renewable electricity the system as designed is expected to produce in a year. It comes from the system size, array orientations and tilts, and the site’s location.

It is an estimate, not measured generation.

Projected generation by month

kWh per month · estimate

Each year

~36tonnesCO₂ emissions avoided
104%Of the site’s annual electricity use matched by solar generation

Over the system’s lifetime

6,955Trees planted, in equivalent CO₂
1,081,878kmOf car travel avoided
774Long-haul flights avoided

Where the energy goes, each year

~54,221kWhUsed directly on site by the business
~88,700kWhSurplus exported to the grid
39.3%Of the site’s electricity supplied directly by solar

All figures are estimates from the project’s MCS performance projection and proposal, not measured results. They are guidance only, not a guarantee of performance; actual generation and on-site use will vary with weather, shading and how the site uses its power. On-site use and export assume about 138,000 kWh of annual electricity demand.

Why It Matters

More control over
future energy costs

For a business using this much electricity, a large solar system is a long-term investment. It is designed to:

  • Reduce reliance on grid electricity
  • Lower long-term energy costs
  • Cut the business’s carbon footprint
  • Turn unused roof space into a productive asset
  • Give T. Reeve & Sons more control over future energy costs
Sun shining across newly installed solar panels on the T. Reeve and Sons roof
Work Underway

Where the project stands

The design work and approvals are done, and the Sol4r Energy team is now installing on the roof.

1
Complete
Survey & Design

Full roof survey and a layout designed around the site’s rooflights and flues.

2
Complete
Grid & Approvals

We handle the DNO notification and compliance paperwork for the client.

3
In Progress
Installation

Panels, tilt racks, optimisers and bird protection going in, bay by bay.

4
Coming Up
Commissioning & Handover

Testing, MCS commissioning and a full handover pack for the client.

From the Roof

Progress on site

Photos from the roof as the array comes together.

Solar panels on the T. Reeve and Sons roof catching the evening sun
Evening light over the array
Groups of solar panels laid out between the rooflights on the corrugated roof
Arrays laid out between the rooflights

Got roof space
doing nothing?

Talk to Sol4r Energy about commercial solar PV for your premises. We handle everything from roof survey and design to installation and handover.

Get a Free Survey Commercial Solar
0330 124 2945 020 3336 8235 Unit 5, 5 Sandiford Road, Sutton, SM3 9RN