PD Ports switches on one of Teesside's largest rooftop solar arrays at Teesport
PD Ports has installed and commissioned a 675kW solar PV system on the roof of the largest warehouse on the Tees Bulks Quay, in what the company describes as one of the largest rooftop solar installations in Teesside.
The system comprises 2,000 solar panels and more than 20 kilometres of cabling, and will supply renewable power directly to port operations.
Commercial roofs are the new frontier
Industrial and warehouse roofs are among the best solar sites in the country: large, unshaded and structurally suited to arrays. The Teesport project is the highest profile local example yet of a trend that is gathering pace across the region's industrial estates, as energy costs push businesses towards generating their own power.
The same economics increasingly apply at home. Domestic solar with battery storage has moved firmly into the mainstream across Teesside, and new-build developments such as the approved 243-home scheme at Wynyard are now specifying panels and EV charging as standard.
What homeowners should know
A rooftop array on a typical Teesside semi or detached house is a fraction of the size of the Teesport system but works on the same principle: generate at home, cut what you buy from the grid, and store surplus in a battery for the evening. Roof condition matters first, so an inspection by a local roofer before committing to panels is money well spent, and the installation itself is typically handled by qualified local electricians working alongside the solar fitters.