Helping a Healthcare Recruitment Business Invest in a More Sustainable Future
As energy prices continue to impact businesses across the UK, more organisations are turning to commercial solar PV to reduce operating costs and improve their environmental credentials. SolarTherm UK recently completed a large scale commercial solar installation for SOS Medical in Bexleyheath, Kent, equipping their new premises with a high performance solar energy system designed to deliver decades of clean, renewable electricity.
SOS Medical is a specialist nursing and healthcare recruitment agency providing high calibre temporary staffing solutions to both the NHS and private healthcare sector across the UK. Their commitment to delivering excellence extends beyond healthcare, with an investment in renewable energy helping to support a more sustainable future for their growing business.
The Installation
To maximise on-site renewable energy generation, our commercial team designed and installed a bespoke solar PV system consisting of:
- 124x Aiko N-Type ABC Neostar 450W solar panels
- Solis S5 three-phase inverter
The installation provides a total system capacity of 55.8kWp, enabling SOS Medical to generate a significant proportion of their daytime electricity requirements directly from the sun.
The Solis S5 three-phase inverter efficiently converts the electricity generated by the solar panels into usable AC power for the building, while its advanced monitoring capabilities allow system performance to be tracked in real time.
Designed for a Growing Business
Unlike many commercial installations where historical electricity consumption can be analysed, this project presented a unique challenge. As SOS Medical had recently moved into the new premises and the property was still to be connected to the grid, there was insufficient energy consumption data available to accurately model savings based on previous electricity bills.
Instead, our design team produced projections using the system’s expected annual generation, current commercial electricity pricing and typical business operating hours to provide realistic long term financial forecasts.
This approach ensures the system has been designed not just for today’s requirements, but with future business growth in mind.
Projected Financial Benefits
Although historical energy usage was unavailable, the projected performance of the system demonstrates the substantial financial benefits commercial solar can deliver.
Estimated Savings:
- Estimated Year 1 Savings: £10,809
- Estimated 30 Year Savings: £645,229
- Estimated Payback Period: 5 years
Following the initial payback period, the system is expected to continue producing free renewable electricity for many years, helping to protect the business from future energy price volatility while significantly reducing operational costs.
Why Aiko N-Type ABC Neostar Panels?
SolarTherm UK selected the Aiko panels due to their exceptional efficiency and premium performance.
Key benefits include:
- High power output
- Excellent performance during low light conditions
- Low annual degradation rates
- Improved long term energy production
- Premium all black appearance
These advanced N-Type cells help maximise electricity generation throughout the year, making them particularly well suited to commercial properties looking to achieve the highest possible return on investment.
Reliable Three-Phase Commercial Performance
Commercial buildings often have significantly higher electricity demands than residential properties, making three-phase systems the preferred choice.
The Solis S5 three-phase inverter provides:
- High conversion efficiency
- Reliable operation for commercial environments
- Advanced system monitoring
- Future expansion capability
- Robust protection features
Together with the Aiko panels, the system delivers dependable renewable energy generation that can support the business for decades.
Environmental Impact
Alongside the financial benefits, this installation will help reduce SOS Medical’s reliance on electricity generated from fossil fuels.
By producing clean, renewable electricity on-site, the system is expected to prevent approximately 11.75 tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year. To put that into perspective, this is the environmental equivalent of planting around 559 trees annually, making a meaningful contribution towards reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
As well as lowering emissions, generating renewable electricity on-site demonstrates SOS Medical’s commitment to sustainability—an increasingly important consideration for clients, employees and stakeholders alike.
Commercial solar installations such as this play an important role in helping UK businesses move towards Net Zero while improving long-term energy resilience and protecting against rising energy costs.
Project Summary
| Project | Details |
| Client | SOS Medical |
| Location | Bexleyheath, Kent |
| Sector | Healthcare Recruitment |
| System Size | 55.8kWp |
| Solar Panels | 124 × Aiko N-Type ABC Neostar 450W |
| Inverter | Solis S5 Three-Phase |
| Estimated Year 1 Savings | £10,809 |
| Estimated 30-Year Savings | £645,229 |
| Estimated Payback | 5 Years |
| Estimated Annual CO₂ Savings | 11.75 tonnes |
| Estimated Lifetime CO₂ Savings | 352.61 tonnes |
Why Choose SolarTherm UK for Commercial Solar?
Every commercial premises has different energy demands, operating hours and future growth plans. At SolarTherm UK, we design every commercial solar PV system around the individual needs of the business rather than offering a one size fits all solution.
Our experienced commercial team provides:
- Bespoke commercial solar system design
- High performance Tier 1 solar panels
- Premium commercial inverter solutions
- Professional installation by qualified engineers
- Ongoing monitoring and aftercare
- MCS certified installations
- NICEIC approved electrical work
Whether you’re operating an office, warehouse, manufacturing facility, healthcare provider or commercial premises, we can design a system that helps reduce energy costs while delivering excellent long term returns.
Your business. Your energy. Your future.
