Retail Technology
Dual-elevation install with FoxESS hybrid inverters.
Datascan Retail Systems adopted several measures to improve sustainability before installing solar. With roof space on both elevations, 56 panels were paired with 2 x 10kW single-phase FoxESS hybrid inverters and 2 x 4.74kW FoxESS batteries.
Like most retail technology operations, Datascan Retail Systems faced a structural exposure to wholesale electricity prices — a cost line that doubled for many UK businesses between 2021 and 2023 and shows no sign of returning to pre-crisis levels. With significant daytime load and suitable roof space, on-site generation was the obvious lever, but the project needed to stand on its own commercial merits: predictable payback, manufacturer-backed warranties, and zero operational disruption during install.
Following a structural roof survey and DNO capacity check, Alliant Energy specified a 26kW array using 56 high-efficiency mono-PERC panels, paired with a 20kW hybrid inverter and 10kW of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery storage. The 20kW platform was chosen for its export-management capability and remote firmware updates, allowing the array to be tuned over its life without site visits. Battery storage was sized to absorb mid-day generation peaks and discharge across the early evening, lifting on-site solar self-consumption from a typical 35–45% to over 70%.
The full installation completed in 2 days, scheduled around the customer's operating hours to avoid downtime. Work was carried out by Alliant Energy's directly employed Experienced engineers — no subcontracted labour. The system was commissioned to G99 requirements, registered with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, and handed over with monitoring access, electrical certification, and structural sign-off documents on the day of completion.
In its first full year of operation the system is on track to save Datascan Retail Systems approximately £3,457 on electricity costs, with a payback term of 5.9 Years and a projected total ROI of 834%. Over the 25-year warranted life of the panels, the cumulative saving is forecast at £205,179 — a figure that improves materially if grid prices continue their long-term upward trend, and that benefits from the UK's 100% full-expensing capital allowance for qualifying solar assets.
The installation displaces roughly 5 Tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year compared with grid-sourced electricity. Over the system's 25-year design life that is the equivalent of removing more than Datascan Retail Systems's entire annual Scope 2 footprint several times over — a material data point for ESG, B-Corp and net-zero reporting frameworks.
Retail Technology businesses typically run daytime electrical loads — refrigeration, machinery, IT, lighting, compressors — that overlap closely with solar generation. That overlap is what drives strong economics: every unit generated and consumed on-site replaces a unit that would otherwise be bought from the grid at full commercial rates. The Datascan Retail Systems project demonstrates how the model scales for this kind of operation.
Alliant Energy installed a 26kW solar PV system using 56 panels paired with a 20kW inverter and 10kW of battery storage. The installation took 2 days from arrival on site to commissioning.
Datascan Retail Systems saves approximately £3,457 per year on electricity, with projected lifetime savings of £205,179 over the system's 25-year guaranteed performance period. The payback term is 5.9 Years, delivering a total ROI of 834%.
This project was paid for directly by the customer. Under the UK's full-expensing capital allowance, the entire cost can be deducted from corporation tax in year one — improving the effective payback meaningfully for profitable companies.
The system avoids around 5 Tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year compared with grid-sourced electricity. Over a 25-year design life that's a material contribution toward Scope 2 reduction and any ESG or net-zero reporting commitments the business holds.
Probably — the same hardware platform (panels, hybrid inverter, optional battery) scales from roughly 10kW up to 1MW+. The deciding factors are roof area, daytime electricity use, current unit rate, and grid-connection capacity. Alliant Energy carries out a free desktop feasibility study and follow-up site survey before quoting.
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