A popular family-friendly farm park and artisan ice cream wholesaler in Derbyshire has undergone a significant green transformation to become more environmentally friendly and reduce its energy costs.
Bluebell Dairy has partnered with renewable energy experts Geo Green Power to install a 210kW ground-mounted solar PV system that will generate over 188,000kWh of electricity per year.
This solar energy will power the wholesaler’s industrial freezer system, along with other key operations on the 300 acre farm, which features two sites for ice cream production and a number of family attractions.
The energy generated by the solar PV system is sufficient to power approximately 49.5 homes for a year. This is equivalent to taking around 7 cars off the road for a year, based on average UK car emissions.
Increasing energy costs and a growing requirement from their corporate customers to reduce emissions in their supply chains led to the Bluebell Dairy team investing in the system.
Oliver Brown, Director of Bluebell Dairy, said, “Our freezer system uses a high amount of energy, and investing in solar power is the ideal solution to reduce both our energy costs and carbon footprint. This advancement towards a sustainable future for our business will not only make us more environmentally friendly but also meet the increasing green credentials demanded by our distribution partners, such as the National Trust and National Heritage.”
Geo Green Power, based in Bunny, South Nottinghamshire, came highly recommended for their recent installation of a solar PV system at Dunstall Hall Farm, Rugeley, a farm owned and operated by Brown’s uncle.
“Geo Green Power has been excellent at every stage and completed the installation much quicker than we expected. They have helped us sort out the connection back to the grid and our electrical system on site. We can’t wait to see how it works, and can’t fault them at all, they’ve been great,” added Brown.
James Cunningham, Managing Director, Geo Green Power added: “We were delighted to be contacted by Bluebell Dairy about this project. As the team here has discovered, an investment in renewable energy is an investment in the future; this system will provide a full payback in around 4-5 years, keep generating free energy for at least a further 20, and help to secure key contracts going forwards.”
