St Georges Catholic Centre is a parish centre in the Clifton Diocese, in use by groups and congregations through the week and at weekends. DES Renewables installed a three-phase solar PV system with battery storage, routing cable through the loft spaces of an older building and commissioning the system onto remote monitoring.
Project overview
St Georges Catholic Centre appointed DES Renewables to install solar PV with battery storage at its parish centre in Taunton. A Solax three-phase hybrid inverter was fitted with a Solax BMS and four Solax batteries, along with a meter box, sub distribution board, generation meter, isolators and a three-phase Hager surge protection device. The system is monitored through SolaxCloud, so the centre can see how it is performing.
Project details
- Company: St Georges Catholic Centre
- Location: Taunton, Somerset TA1 3NG
- System: Solax three-phase hybrid inverter with Solax BMS and 4 x Solax batteries
- Installation type: Roof-mounted solar PV with battery storage
- Project timeline: On site February–March 2025, completed April 2025
The objectives
- Cut electricity costs at a centre used on weekdays and at weekends
- Store daytime generation for use during evening bookings
- Fit a modern three-phase system into an older parish building
- Protect the installation with proper isolation and surge protection
- Give the centre remote visibility of the system through SolaxCloud
The solution: bespoke assessment and design
DES surveyed the roof and, just as importantly, the route the cabling would have to take through an older building. The design had to suit a parish centre in regular use, with scaffolding planned for safe access to the roof.
The system is built around a Solax three-phase hybrid inverter paired with a Solax BMS and four Solax batteries. DES also installed a meter box, a sub distribution board, a generation meter, isolators and a three-phase Hager surge protection device, so that the array, the storage and the centre’s existing three-phase supply all work together safely.
Scaffolding was required for the roof works, and the installation was carried out to building regulations and electrical standards throughout.
Installation and completion
AC and DC were wired with the DC joined and extended through multiple loft spaces — a demanding route through an old building, and the part of the job that took the most planning.
At commissioning the batteries would not initially commission. Rather than leave the centre with an incomplete system, DES raised a Solax support ticket, had the faulty battery replaced and corrected the CT clamps. With the clamps corrected the system read correctly and ran as designed, and monitoring was set up through SolaxCloud.
The results
- A working three-phase solar PV and battery system at a parish centre in weekday and weekend use
- Four Solax batteries storing surplus daytime generation for later in the day
- Cabling successfully routed through multiple loft spaces in an older building
- A faulty battery replaced and CT clamps corrected so the system reads and runs as designed
- Three-phase surge protection and proper isolation safeguarding the installation
- SolaxCloud monitoring giving the centre a clear view of generation and storage
At a glance
- Solax three-phase hybrid inverter
- Solax BMS with 4 x Solax batteries
- Meter box, sub distribution board and generation meter
- Isolators and a three-phase Hager surge protection device
- DC joined and extended through multiple loft spaces
- Faulty battery replaced and CT clamps corrected at commissioning
- Monitored through SolaxCloud
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
Parish centres, clubs and community buildings often have exactly the kind of daytime and evening demand that solar with storage suits well. get your free bill check to see what your building could save, or explore commercial solar to find out how we work.
Download the full St Georges Catholic Centre case study (PDF).
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Browse all of our commercial solar case studies, including our work at Coombe Caravan Park near Salisbury and Hursley Road Community Centre in Chandler’s Ford.