The title of the UK’s largest rooftop solar system keeps passing from one roof to the next. Aldi’s new distribution centre in Bardon received an 8.06 MW array from installer EvoEnergy earlier this year, and a 6.6 MW installation at Wren’s plant in Barton-upon-Humber was billed in May as the country’s largest on a single roof. Now, drinks manufacturer Refresco wants to go one better. The bottler announced on 30 October that it will put 21.5 MW of solar on four of its UK factories, and the biggest of the four systems, an 8.5 MW array in Bridgwater, would be larger than either the Aldi or the Wren installation.
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Rotterdam-based Refresco, which bottles drinks for brands and retailers in 14 countries, describes the UK rollout as one of the largest commercial and industrial solar deployments ever undertaken in the country, and Bridgwater is at the centre of the programme. At 8.5 MW, the Bridgwater array will be the largest of the four and is set to become the UK's largest PV installation on a single continuous roof. Once running, it should supply around 17 percent of the Somerset plant's annual electricity.
Installing without stopping the lines
Installation is already well under way, and the work has to fit around a factory that runs day and night. Installer GB NRG says it worked with Refresco on a plan that keeps production going without interruption, protects the roof and maintains health and safety standards during construction. “This programme will enable us to generate more renewable electricity directly at our production facilities and reduce our reliance on grid-supplied electricity.” said James Logan, Managing Director of Refresco UK.
GB NRG won the EPC contract through a tender involving 12 commercial solar providers and is developing, designing, engineering and building all four systems. A separate process selected Zestec Renewable Energy, owned by funds managed by Octopus Energy Generation, to fund and operate the installations and sell the electricity to Refresco under long-term PPAs. The drinks manufacturer carries no upfront cost. “Our role has gone beyond designing and installing the systems,” said Jon Antoniou, founder and CEO of GB NRG.
C&I rooftop solar hits its stride
The Refresco announcementcomes at a time when the UK C&I rooftop segment is gaining real momentum. Rising industrial power prices, tighter Scope 2 reporting and growing appetite among funds for stable, long-dated PPA revenues have made large manufacturing roofs some of the most sought-after sites in the country. Food and drink producers in particular are turning to on-site solar to hedge against electricity price volatility without tying up capital, and PPA-backed models of the kind Zestec is providing to Refresco are now the preferred route for manufacturers unwilling to commit capital.
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Zestec believes many more businesses could use their roofs in this way. “Large-scale rooftop solar gives businesses such as Refresco the opportunity to make productive use of existing roof space, reduce reliance on grid electricity and make meaningful progress towards their sustainability objectives, without the need for upfront capital investment,” said Toby Smith, COO of Zestec Renewable Energy. (TF)
