We’ve turned 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.
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.
The system was commissioned in October 2026 and is now generating clean electricity for the site.
Powered by SungrowSUNGROW
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.
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.
Simplified diagram, not to scale. Swipe to see the full diagram. Module and optimiser layout is shown for illustration only.
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
~142,919kWhProjected 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
3.7k
5.7k
10.7k
15.3k
19.9k
21.2k
21.1k
17.7k
12.4k
7.9k
4.3k
3.0k
JFMAMJJASOND
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
Project Complete
From survey to switch-on
Every stage is done: designed, approved, installed and commissioned. The system is now generating power for the site.
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
Complete
Installation
Panels, tilt racks, optimisers and bird protection installed across the roof bays.
4
Complete
Commissioning
System tested, commissioned and generating, with live monitoring in place.
Up and Running
Live from the system
With the system commissioned, the site can follow its solar output in real time through Sungrow’s monitoring app. These screenshots were taken in the system’s first week.
279.3kWhGenerated on 16 October (to 17:48), above the ~256 kWh a day projected for an average October day
58.75kWCombined live output at 12:26 on 14 October
NormalBoth monitoring groups reporting normal operation
Readings from Sungrow’s monitoring app on 14 and 16 October 2026. They are individual snapshots, not averages. The October figure for comparison is the projected monthly total (7,937 kWh) divided by 31 days.
279.3 kWh16 Oct, daily yield44.96 kW14 Oct, live output13.79 kW14 Oct, live output
From the Roof
Photos from the roof
Shots from the roof during the installation.
Evening light over the arrayArrays 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.
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