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Located in Bilston Glen Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Edinburgh, the building is the headquarters of engineering and land surveying firm Survey Solutions Group.
The solar panels were originally installed in 2012, and the unique design was well received at the time, particularly due to the impressive aesthetics. More than a decade later, solar technology had moved on and the facility needed technical modernisation to improve safety, monitoring, shading resilience, and EV integration.
Musselburgh-based sustainable energy specialist Gensource carried out the complex month-long refurbishing project last summer, which included the installation of a state-of-the-art SolarEdge system which included inverters, panel optimisers and integration with metering, EV chargers and fire alarm panels.
Twelve months later and the data makes for impressive reading, with the new system reducing Survey Solutions' energy bills by nearly 50%, saving the firm thousands of pounds, with further reductions set to follow in the coming years.
Headline statistics include a 27% increase in generation, enough to power two average homes per year; a reduction of 42% in the client's energy bills; and an increased annual financial benefit of approximately £15,000 per year from £11,000.
Neill Lochhead, General Manager of Survey Solutions Group, said: "The Solar Pyramid has always been an iconic part of our business and something we are extremely proud of, so maintaining its distinctive appearance was a key priority for us.
"The upgrade has delivered on that while also providing a major boost to the business. We were already benefiting from lower energy bills, but the new system is generating significantly more clean energy and delivering even greater savings. We are delighted with both the performance and the finished result."
Gensource managing director Josh King said: "The Solar Pyramid has performed well, averaging around 26 MWh annually, and this year hit 33 MWh, providing a huge financial and carbon benefit to the client.
"Over the years, technology, safety expectations and monitoring standards had moved on. Site conditions had also changed, with increased tree cover and external cabins, creating additional shading. The client's energy needs had also evolved, with EV charging, a growing EV fleet and interest in battery storage.
"It was a complex project for us. It's an iconic feature on the local landscape and our full redesign preserved its appearance while making it a safer, smarter and future-ready energy asset. The client now has an upgraded solar system which will ensure cheap clean energy for decades, improved performance, full building energy monitoring, and integration with the new EV charging.
"They now have full visibility of their energy generation, usage, and savings at the touch of a button. They have individual panel monitoring so they can see what every panel is doing, and they have EV charger integration which allows them to control their EV chargers all from one app."
Mr King added: "The Solar Pyramid challenges the assumption that older solar assets should simply be replaced. Rather than replacing an ageing system, we demonstrated how refurbishment can unlock new value from existing infrastructure. By combining modern technologies with legacy assets, we delivered an enhanced performance while minimising material waste and cost.
"Whilst this was by no means our biggest project, with Gensource having installed Megawatt-scale systems - orders of magnitude bigger - this was certainly a unique project given the shape of the building, bespoke component and its complex nature."
