MTC partners with Naked Energy on the UK’s largest solar thermal installation
● 1,965 VirtuHOT solar thermal collectors will be installed spanning 1,277m2, making it the largest solar thermal installation in the UK
● Technology partner is Naked Energy, the British business leading global innovation in solar thermal technology and renewable heat solutions
● The investment by MTC contributes to net zero goals and shows solar thermal technology working at scale in the UK
3 November, Coventry: The ManufacturingTechnology Centre (MTC) has invested £1.3m to deliver the UK’s largest solar thermal installation at its Ansty Park campus in Coventry. The solar thermal installation will make MTC less reliant on volatile energy markets, while reducing its carbon emissions by 37 tCO2e per year, equivalent to the carbon absorbed by around 1,400 mature trees over a year.
MTC employs over 900 people in Coventry, Liverpool and Oxfordshire. As part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, established by Innovate UK, MTC develops innovative production methods and helps UK manufacturers to adopt new technologies for growth.
The project will see 1,965 of Naked Energy's VirtuHOT solar thermal collectors installed on the roof of one of MTC’s buildings at Ansty Park, generating up to 786kW of heat. The collectors will provide thermal energy to serve an absorption chiller, which will provide space cooling to the organisation’s state-of-the-art manufacturing research facility in summer months. Additionally, the collectors will generate space heating and hot water for general use all year round and are connected to an 8,000-litre water storage tank.
Heat is often described as the overlooked half of the energy transition. Heating accounts for around a third of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, and much of industry’s energy demand is for heat rather than electricity1. The UK has the highest industrial electricity prices in the G7, which is contributing to growing interest in on-site renewable heat across the sector.
Naked Energy’s Virtu product range are a proven option at commercial scale and allow industrial businesses to reduce their reliance on gas and can save up to 10 times as much carbon as standard solar PV panels.
The project was delivered and installed by engineering specialist SHEcoGroup.
Christophe Williams, co-founder and CEO ofNaked Energy, said: “It’s fantastic to partner with MTC and support them on their journey to net zero.
“The installation tells a clear story about where British manufacturing is heading. On the demand side, MTC, an organisation shaping the future of UK industry, has chosen to put renewable heat at the heart of its site. On the supply side, it’s British-engineered technology, designed and built in the UK, that is delivering it at record scale.
“Industry and business have long presented the hardest sectors to decarbonise, particularly when it comes to heating and cooling. This project shows what can be achieved when renewable solar heat is designed as part of a modern system, resulting in increased efficiency and lower emissions. The energy transition isn’t a distant ambition. It’s gaining real speed, and solar thermal is ready to play its role in it.”
Joe Darlington, Chief Innovation Solutions Officer at MTC said, “The UK has a real opportunity to turn the transition to cleaner energy into industrial growth. That means developing British technology, demonstrating it at scale and giving manufacturers the confidence to invest. At MTC, our role is to turn innovation into practical solutions for industry. By making this investment, we are reducing our emissions while demonstrating how British technology can help manufacturers become more sustainable and resilient.”
AdamClark, Commercial Director at SHEco Group, said: “We’re proud to be bringing the UK’s largest solar thermal installation to life at the MTC. As a West Midlands engineering business, it’s especially rewarding to deliver a project of this scale close to home.
“Many of our customers are asking how they can reduce their reliance on gas, and this project gives them a real-world example of what’s possible. Our partnership with Naked Energy combines British-designed technology with practical turnkey installation expertise, and the MTC scheme shows what that can achieve at scale.”
Footnote
1. https://tinyurl.com/mk9y9cmf
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Formore information on Naked Energy or to arrange an interview, please contactnakedenergy@harpswood.com
High-resolutionimages, including aerial photography of the installation, are available onrequest.
Acerca de Naked Energy
NakedEnergy is a British design and engineering business, leading the global innovation in solar thermal and solar PVT. Naked Energy’s solar thermal collectors, paired with advanced software, are transforming renewable heat for businesses and industry. The technology can deliver up to ten times the carbon savings per m2 compared to conventional solar PV, and operates independently of the at capacity power grid.
Thebusiness is backed by Great British Energy, Barclays and E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions and has installed Virtu projects in more than 11 countries.
About the Manufacturing Technology Centre
MTC transforms how products are designed, made and built so that they can be produced on a commercial scale - more sustainably, effectively and safely. Since 2010, our independent research and technology organisation has delivered pioneering solutions to help overhaul industries spanning Aerospace, Defence &Security, Power & Energy, Built Environments, Space, Agriculture, and Food& Drink. Always in collaboration. Always with purpose. We are proud to be part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, established by and working in partnership with Innovate UK.
For more information,visit www.the-mtc.org
AboutSHEco
SHEco Renewable Systems Ltd, part of the wider SHEco Group, are specialists in providing turnkey decarbonisation solutions for the industrial and commercial sectors. Working from the concept to the construction phase, SHEco RenewableSystems can design and install systems using a wide range of renewable energy technology including air source and ground source heat pumps alongside solar PV and solar thermal. Through partnerships with market leading products, SHEco can tailor the solution to suit customers’ requirements, from return on investment to cutting energy bills or purely as part of their net zero strategy.
