Noble Milling installs820 kWp Rooftop Solar PVat Clearwell Mill in Coleford, Forest of Dean
Clearwell Mill, in Coleford, tucked away in the Forest of Dean, is a Noble Milling site with two separate metered electricity supplies – one serving the Old Mill and one serving the New Mill – with the consumption on one around twice the size of the other.
Noble Milling and Noble Green Energy are both part of the Noble Foods Group. As the group’s renewable energy arm, Noble Green Energy designed and installed an 820.82 kWp solar PV system split into two arrays, allocating capacity to each supply in proportion to its demand to maximise self-consumption across the site.
Two Supplies, Two Arrays
This is an unusual arrangement. Although the site has a single grid connection, each building had its own MPAN, something the client wanted to keep. Each building is metered separately, meaning that the arrays needed to be allocated across the two supplies to ensure maximum self consumption.
Rather than treating the site as a single load, the design recognised the two metering points as distinct consumers with different profiles. The larger array of 553.28 kWp was allocated to the higher demand supply and the smaller array of 267.54 kWp to the other, so that each array is sized to what its own connection can usefully absorb. This supply-by-supply approach is what drives the site’s strong self-consumption performance.
820.82
kWp
SYSTEM SIZE INSTALLED
749.83
MWh
generated per annum
Circa
4 Years
estimated payback period
Challenges & Objectives
The DNO limited the site’s export allowance to 490 kW
- Rather than installing larger inverter capacity and an Export Limitation Scheme to actively cap output, the inverters were specified to total 489.9 kW, sitting just below the threshold by design.
- The mix of SE100K, SE90K, SE66.6K and SE33.3K units also allowed the power production configuration on each connection to be matched to that supply’s load profile, removing the cost and complexity of an ELS while keeping generation aligned to demand.
Grid Connection Within the Existing LV Network
Given the way the site was arranged, the key challenge was finding a suitable connection point within the existing low voltage network.
- A new kiosk was installed next to the incoming LV supplies, providing new feeders for the PV, with cable trenching run across the concrete yard.
- The works were completed to a high standard while keeping costs in check, ensuring the system’s payback projection remains within 4 years.
Trenching Works for Power Supply Cables
- Power supply to the solar was at the far end of the site, with existing electrical infrastructure unable to offer a connection. Additional feeder pillars were installed to resupply the site’s existing equipment along with the solar PV.
- The mains supply cables to the solar PV inverters were channelled underground, requiring trenching works across the site’s road network and busy yard, with minimal disruption.
- In addition, the remaining trenching was across extremely rocky ground. Deploying local civils contactors was critical to ensure this was completed efficiently.
Outcomes
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Total Installed Capacity: 820.82 kWp
-
Array 1 (Old Mill): 553.28 kWp
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Array 2 (New Mill): 267.54 kWp
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Modules: 1,804 x Canadian Solar CS6.2-48TD-455 (1500 V)
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Power optimisers: 902 x SolarEdge S1000, with Sense Connect
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Inverters: 3 x SE100K, 1 x SE90K, 1 x SE66.6K and 1 x SE33.3K (489.9 kW total)
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Usable Inverter Power: 490 kW
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Estimated Annual Generation: 749.83 MWh
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Grid Offset: Old Mill: 32% of site demand (96% self-consumed) New Mill: 26% of site demand (over 80% self-consumed)
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New LV connection kiosk and feeders delivered to a high standard within budget
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Module level monitoring and Sense Connect fault detection
Performance
Since the system began generating at the start of June 2026, both arrays have delivered strong results against their respective supplies:
- Large array supplying the Old Mill – has provided 32% of the site’s demand and has been 96% self-consumed
- Small array supplying the New Mill – has provided 26% of all consumption, with a self-consumption rate of over 80%
Monitoring and Next Steps
- Full SolarEdge monitoring capability across both arrays – performance can not only be measured, but used as a tool for modelling the site’s future energy requirements.
- A battery energy storage system (BESS) is a potential consideration – monitoring data provides the evidence base for sizing and evaluating any addition.
“…Noble Green Energy is proud to be contributing to the carbon reduction ambitions of the Noble Foods Group, and to those of the food industry as a whole. Delivering projects like this on our own estate demonstrates the same commitment we bring to every client site….”
Summary
Clearwell Mill demonstrates the value of designing around a site’s actual electrical arrangement rather than its total load.
By splitting the array across two metered supplies in proportion to their demand, and specifying inverter capacity to sit just under the DNO’s export threshold, the system achieves excellent self-consumption without the cost of an Export Limitation Scheme. With full monitoring in place and battery storage a potential next step, the site has both a strong performing asset today and the data to plan its energy future.
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