UK Potato Distributor Benefits From Solar
Renewable specialist TGE Group has completed the installation of over 2,300 roof top solar panels for leading UK potato distributor, Branston, in a multiple site contract covering Lincolnshire, Scotland and Somerset. The solar installations will greatly reduce Branston's reliance on energy from the National Grid and bring significant savings both in carbon emissions and operating costs.
Vee Gururajan, Projects Director at Branston Ltd, comments: "We are committed to our strong environmental credentials and extending our use of renewables, which already includes anaerobic digestion and water recycling systems. We use all our energy as efficiently as possible and try to reduce our energy costs so it made sense to look at other ways we could produce our own energy from a natural source."
After surveying the three locations, TGE Group recommended the installation of four solar PV systems of varying sizes across the sites. In total, a 637kWp system, comprising 2,388 solar panels, was installed across the three sites to generate an estimated 487MWh of energy and save 263 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the first year.
Monitoring systems were also installed to ensure the systems continue to operate at optimum levels and to identify any underperformance or failure quickly, so it can be instantly highlighted and acted upon.
Rupert Higgin, Managing Director of TGE Group comments: "We needed to design systems that suited the resources and requirements of each location as well as take into consideration the operational constraints of working on active food preparation sites. Despite this, all four projects were completed on time allowing Branston to benefit from a robust and sustainable system that reinforces its environmental commitment and offers a significant, 20-year buffer to rising energy costs."
