Rooftop solar system cuts warehouse energy costs

16 July 2026

Liberty Wines has reduced electricity costs by £86,480 in 10 months following the installation of a DC-optimised rooftop solar system at its Basingstoke warehouse.

Designed and installed by renewable energy specialist Insight Energy using SolarEdge inverter technology, the system supplies power to the warehouse and supports charging for the company’s electric vehicle (EV) fleet. It was also designed to meet insurer requirements for a site storing large volumes of flammable alcohol stock.

The project overcame previous challenges around installing solar on the warehouse. An earlier plan to add solar during construction was paused after safety concerns were raised by the insurer. Insight Energy developed an alternative approach using SolarEdge DC-optimised technology, which includes features such as arc-fault detection and SafeDC technology to reduce panel voltage to touch-safe levels for maintenance access.

The installation comprises a 521kWp solar array with 1,005 panels fitted with SolarEdge Power Optimisers, alongside four 90kW SolarEdge Synergy inverters. Since commissioning, the system has generated 376MWh of electricity and supplied 63% of the warehouse’s energy demand.

The system is managed through the SolarEdge ONE for C&I energy optimisation platform, which coordinates solar generation with site consumption and EV charging. Liberty Wines uses the platform to schedule vehicle charging during periods of higher solar production, increasing onsite use of generated electricity.

www.solaredge.com/uk