NextEnergy and Zestec have completed a 300kW rooftop solar PV scheme at manufacturer Kärcher’s Banbury site.
The deal, structured under a fully funded power purchase agreement (PPA), means the cleaning machine maker cuts carbon and power bills without having to deploy capital.
Kärcher expects to generate 44 per cent of its annual electricity consumption through the solar array, with the Banbury operation currently consuming 1.24GWh per day.
Chief operating officer, Mark Venner, said Kärcher is committed to reducing consumption and its carbon footprint “across every segment of our business,” including its supply chain.
“We always had solar in mind for our new headquarters in Banbury and the PPA model ticked two important boxes for us,” said Venner. “Firstly, it puts responsibility for the installation and long-term maintenance in the hands of the experts, so we do not need to become experts in solar PV technology ourselves. Secondly, our capital is better deployed in additional warehouse stock than in a solar PV system; this funded model allows us to do both.”
Ross Grier, managing director for Next Energy Capital, indicated that there is further growth to come from on-site solar via PPAs.
“We know that the retail and distribution sectors are going to need to become more energy efficient in the coming years as we adapt to reduce our impact on climate change,” he said. “Schemes such as this will become increasingly important as the cost of energy to the consumer continues to rise.”
Related stories:
Birmingham Airport eyes megawatts of onsite solar
Lightsource strikes 5MW PPA with Ibstock Brick
Tesco goes large on direct PPAs and onsite solar
Bentley installs 2.7MW solar carport at Crewe HQ
SEEIT: 2020 will be big year for renewable energy PPAs
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