Technology
We drive our business through cutting-edge renewables technology ‘rentech’ – one of many factors that sets us apart as a leader in the renewable energy sector
Learn moreOur technology
We process and integrate hundreds of data sources to help us quickly identify suitable land along with associated National Grid capacity to ensure our projects will have minimal environmental impact and a positive community benefit.
Our proprietary management platform brings together all our information in a central resource, from our extensive GIS mapping systems with energy and land-sourcing tools or our financial models. This gives us a real-time view of all aspects of our projects, enabling us to react faster and make more informed decisions.
During construction we apply information management processes, taking learnings from large-scale infrastructure projects worldwide to ensure we deliver leading solar and battery tech efficiently, with quality and best-in-class processes. We leverage technology to shorten our completion time, minimize impact on our neighbours and communities, and maintain the highest levels of safety and quality.
Once a site is complete we continuously monitor and control the performance of our equipment and external conditions. We use this output to apply machine learning across our cloud platforms to optimize asset performance and provide a valuable feedback loop into our GIS decision algorithms.
Battery storage
Lithium ion phosphate batteries will form the core of grid storage solutions for the next decade. As demand for grid storage increases duration requirements, technologies such as flow batteries will start to be deployed at scale.
Further developments in materials and chemistry should provide technologies to revolutionise the sector, from super capacitors that can charge and discharge very quickly to solid-state batteries that reduce the flammability of battery banks, the Gelion battery, which uses abundant recyclable materials, or increased-capacity graphene batteries. As a rentech company, our engineers work closely with global manufacturers to bring these new developments to the market, providing bankable and dependable solutions.
Software
Our control software monitors the site in real-time reporting on security and operations. It manages preventative maintenance tasks and dispatches energy for trading – making decisions on charge/discharge cycles based on our trading algorithms.
Environment
Our sites are designed to be integrated into the surrounding area and to last for 40 years. As part of our commitment to improving the environment, at each installation we are working with the Wildlife Trust to deliver and monitor new habitats, ensuring our long-lasting investment in biodiversity.
We design our sites first to be safe but also to be quiet, with minimum lighting and fencing. All sites are naturally screened and designed to provide maximum benefit for birds and wildlife. Each site will have dedicated space for nature to be undisturbed by farming or the generation and storage of renewable energy.
Projects
Exagen bring some of the largest co-located and independent power plants to the market throughout the UK, ensuring renewable solutions to our energy independence. We engage with each project, providing materials and site visits for STEM students at local schools to car chargers and cheap power for community projects.
The solar panels are typically installed at a fixed angle in south facing rows or alternatively on a north to south axis with panels tracking the movement of the sun through the day. Inverters take the DC power generated by the panels and converts this to AC power – the standard form of electricity for the National Grid. The power is then stepped up to the required voltage and distributed to the grid through transformers at the onsite substation. A generation meter records the amount of electricity generated and supplied to the grid and the owner of the solar farm is then paid for the power generated.
Alongside solar panels, there will be:
- Inverters/ transformer kiosks (the size of a small storage container). These are placed within the solar farm away from site boundaries/ public rights of way. These can also be painted so as to blend into the landscape.
- A transformer substation, typically with battery storage, connecting the solar farm to the grid.
- Perimeter fencing with inward facing infra-red CCTV for security.
- Space between panels for maintenance access.
The lifespan of solar panels is typically 40 years and for this reason, our standard lease term is 40 years. historically lifespans have been 25 years but improvements in the manufacture of panels has enabled manufacturers to provide longer warranties enabling permission to be sought for longer periods.
This depends on the size of the solar farm but for our typical multi-megawatt solar farms, the build process usually takes between three to six months.
Solar PV generation relies on diffused light (not just direct sunlight) in order to generate electricity. Power is generated even on a cloudy day in winter, just at a lower rate than bright summer’s day.
Like any other electrical waste, solar panels need to be disposed of responsibly. In Europe over 70% of panel manufacturers take part in a global recycling network that helps producers meet the legal obligations of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive legislation. As members of this initiative, producers are actively engaged in the sustainability of their product during manufacturing and throughout its lifespan. Components of the panels are broken down and recycled, not just disposed of. There are also similar systems in place for battery recycling.
The benefits of reduced CO2 from generating electricity by solar panels outweighs the CO2 released from their manufacture within 2-5 years. Once the transportation, construction, operation, decommissioning and recycling is accounted for in a Life Cycle Analysis, it is estimated that a solar farm in the UK pays back the embodied energy in 10-15 years. This is sometimes called the ‘carbon payback’ time. Solar panels are predominantly made of materials that are widely recycled.
Exagen works with the EPCs and manufacturers to ensure that our supply chains are not associated with forced labour issues. Exagen has a zero tolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking. See our ESG page for further information.