Fera Science Ltd of York has appointed Leeds-based engineers Meson to develop and implement a custom solar energy system, delivering annual energy bill savings of £24,000 a year.

As the leading centre for plant and bee health, crop protection, sustainable agriculture, food and feed quality, and environmental chemical safety.

The site at Fera (York Biotech Campus) consists of large roof vents to accommodate daily experiments.

The solar panels had to integrate seamlessly with the roof vents, and risk assessments were completed to mitigate a potentially hazardous environment for Meson engineers.

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Meson worked with Fera from the tender stage to understand their needs and carry out an in-depth review of the terrain to identify any challenges and design a bespoke solution that would provide easy installation and ongoing system maintenance.

The custom-designed solution consisted of 342 N-Type modules producing a 150 kilowatt-peak (kWp) output that guarantees high power performance, reliability, and safety.

Says James Hennigan, Managing Director at Meson said: “Solar panels are a great investment for companies looking to reduce overall carbon footprint and save on energy bills.” 

“For this project, our solution had to be carefully designed to navigate the vents and other roof obstructions on site.

"We carried out a full on-site analysis and collaborated with our trusted structural engineering partner, J.B. Langley Associates Ltd, Whiterose Scaffolding, and electrical engineering consultants CGP MEP to create a solution that integrates seamlessly into the existing infrastructure and allows for ongoing routine maintenance.”

Dean Betteridge Lead Business Analyst at Fera added: “We couldn’t have chosen a better partner to work with for this project. Meson worked with us right from the initial tender stage to validate the proposal, and to design a solution that would work.

“Other companies we came across were prioritising sales over detailed engineering considerations. However, Meson was passionate about finding the right solution from the very start and was very careful in ensuring the installation and maintenance of the panels would cause no disruption to daily operations.”

Headquartered in Leeds, Meson specialises in the design, build, and delivery of bespoke electrical installations and control systems, including lighting and power, and specialist fuel storage and delivery systems for car manufacturers and F1 teams.

The solar panel installation began in June and will be completed by October. Meson will also provide 24-hour support and carry out regular maintenance at the site.