Coombe Caravan Park is a family holiday and touring park near Salisbury, where electricity demand peaks through the daylight hours and across the busy summer season. DES Renewables designed, installed, tested and commissioned a solar PV system with battery storage for the site, working around shading from an adjacent roof and the constraints of a conservation area setting.
Project overview
Coombe Caravan Park appointed DES Renewables to install rooftop solar PV with battery storage at its holiday and touring park in Netherhampton. The array was configured as an East–West split and fully Tigo-optimised, so that shading from an adjacent roof is managed panel by panel rather than dragging down a whole string. A bank of six 48V Pylontech batteries stores surplus daytime generation, and DES tested, commissioned and connected the system to a cloud monitoring portal so the owners can track what the array is producing.
Project details
- Company: Coombe Caravan Park
- Location: Netherhampton, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 8PN
- System: East–West split solar PV array, fully Tigo-optimised, with a 6 kW-class inverter and a bank of 6 x 48V Pylontech batteries
- Installation type: Roof-mounted solar PV with battery storage
- Project timeline: Installed, tested and commissioned across 2023–2024
The objectives
- Reduce electricity costs at a site with high daytime and summer-peak demand
- Store surplus daytime generation for use later in the day
- Overcome shading from an adjacent roof without losing output
- Work within conservation area constraints and awkward rear access
- Give the owners clear visibility of generation through remote monitoring
The solution: bespoke assessment and design
DES assessed the roof space, orientation and the shading cast by the adjacent roof, along with access for scaffolding at the rear of the building. The site sits in a conservation area grey area, so panel placement was worked through carefully before the design was fixed.
The array was configured as an East–West split to spread generation across the day rather than concentrate it at midday, and every panel carries a Tigo optimiser so that shading from the adjacent roof affects only the modules actually in shade. Power conversion is handled by a 6 kW-class inverter, with output above 6 kW clipped, and the DC input limit leaves headroom for roughly another five to six panels should the park wish to expand later. Energy storage is provided by a bank of six 48V Pylontech batteries.
Conservation area constraints and awkward rear access meant scaffolding had to be planned around the building. DES worked to building regulations and electrical standards throughout, with string voltages verified as correct at commissioning.
Installation and completion
Installation was carried out around the running of the holiday park. Panels were mounted in the East–West split with Tigo optimisers fitted, the battery bank was connected, and a GivEnergy DC isolator was replaced with a Keto switch.
At commissioning one of the Pylontech units was found to have a faulty BMS. DES swapped the unit and rebalanced the bank on site rather than leaving the customer with a partially working system. String voltages were then verified, a WiFi dongle was fitted, and the system was added to the cloud monitoring portal.
The results
- A working, tested and commissioned solar PV and battery system serving a site with high daytime and summer-peak demand
- Shading from the adjacent roof managed panel by panel through full Tigo optimisation
- Surplus daytime generation stored in the Pylontech battery bank for use later in the day
- A faulty battery BMS identified and resolved on site during commissioning
- Cloud monitoring in place so the owners can see generation at any time
- Spare DC capacity retained, leaving the option of adding more panels in future
At a glance
- East–West split array, fully Tigo-optimised for shading
- 6 kW-class inverter, with output above 6 kW clipped
- Bank of 6 x 48V Pylontech batteries
- GivEnergy DC isolator replaced with a Keto switch
- DC headroom for roughly five to six further panels
- WiFi dongle fitted and system added to cloud monitoring
- Installed, tested and commissioned by DES across 2023–2024
Our accreditations
DES Renewables is MCS certified, which guarantees that our installations are designed, installed and commissioned to the highest standard using only MCS certified products. We are also NAPIT certified, confirming that we are certified to install and self-certify all of our electrical installations, and we comply with the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC).
Runs a business, club or community facility? See what solar could save you
If you run a holiday park, business or community facility with high daytime electricity use, solar with battery storage can take a meaningful bite out of your bills. get your free bill check to see what your site could save, or explore commercial solar to find out how we work.
Download the full Coombe Caravan Park case study (PDF).
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Browse all of our commercial solar case studies, including our work at St Georges Catholic Centre in Taunton and Hursley Road Community Centre in Chandler’s Ford.