In the Spotlight: Kitty Cunningham, Ops Director, Geo Green Power

With a lifespan of over 25 years a solar PV installation is a long-term, strategic investment that is required to perform at its best for many years in order to deliver savings and energy security. Geo Green Power’s Operations Director, Kitty Cunningham, discusses the planning and installation process for a solar PV installation; and how her team ensures the systems they hand over to facilities teams are designed for longevity and ease.

With substantial energy bill and emissions savings solar PV is a welcome addition to any operation, but FMs may feel a little apprehensive about the install process. Is this justified and how does your team overcome this?

I can totally understand that a facilities manager might be apprehensive, after all most projects involve scaffold and access equipment, lifting materials to height and of course working on a building’s electrical system. But we have been doing this for over 15 years and apart from seeing our vans in the carpark (parked where you want them to be) most of the team won’t really know we’re there.

I oversee technical design, planning & permissions and site install, and these departments start working on a project as soon as we get the go ahead to ensure everything goes smoothly.

We begin by applying for connection agreements and permissions to ensure this doesn’t hold up the process, and experienced design engineers attend site to carry out a thorough pre-installation survey of your roof, access points and the existing electrical installation.

This first stage is when we get to know the property, meet key people and understand day-to-day operations, specific safety requirements and ensure that our installation is seamless.

With any form of construction works on site FMs are likely to want assurances about Health & Safety, how does Geo Green Power approach this?

Health & Safety is paramount, and over the last 15 years I’ve been proud of the continuous improvements that we’ve made in this area, always going above and beyond to deliver best practice.

The accreditations we hold reflect our robust approach to health & safety, quality and high levels of training. We have been MCS approved since 2010, this year we upgraded our CHAS accreditation to CHAS Elite and we hold ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Every member of our site team is first aid trained, holds a CSCS card and is fully qualified for their role. We complete regular CPD with manufacturers and external training providers and invest heavily in ensuring we have the right equipment such as world leading Hilti tools.

Our proposals always include costs for comprehensive scaffold and access equipment to ensure the safety of our team, the public and our customer’s staff. A full plan of our installation and RAMS are provided before we start, where we incorporate any onsite induction processes and include the bespoke health & safety paperwork to meet customer requirements as needed.

We regularly work on sites that remain open as usual throughout, including large operations that have public access and we understand the importance of keeping access points clear, operating our of a compound and ensuring that site is secure when we are not working.

Once a solar PV installation is commissioned and handed over, how do FMs ensure that it generates as it should?

A well installed solar PV system, using good quality equipment, requires very little regular maintenance, and that’s what we deliver for our customers every time. Arranging an annual check on system performance, including electrical testing and assessing whether panels require cleaning is often the only action FMs need to take.

Geo Green Power has an inhouse O&M team, and provides full service and maintenance support for all our installations, as well as legacy systems. In addition, we can monitor your system and provide monthly reports to ensure your generation is in line with expectations and alert you to any emerging issue.

With ongoing service, maintenance and monitoring front of mind, during the design process we ensure that all equipment such as panel boards and inverters are easy to access and that walkways are left around panels. If customers require roof access for other equipment we can also coordinate the of install permanent edge protection, sky light covers or man safes whilst on your roof as part of our installation.

Solar has a short payback of around 5 years, but should still be seen as a long-term investment. A property with solar PV generates a significant chunk of its own energy for over 25 years, making it an attractive premises to take on and operate from. A PV system that isn’t going to last its full life expectancy, or requires a large amount of expensive maintenance undermines this fundamental benefit. We always want to see our customers again, but to install the second or third system, not to come back to fix issues with our first!

If you’re an FM interested in working with Geo Green Power on a solar PV installation contact info@geogreenpower.com or call 01509 880 199.

-ends-