Smart Architectural Aluminium has secured a more sustainable energy future for its business, having agreed a long term lease with Centrica Business Solutions for the installation of solar panels on the roof of its UK headquarters.
Work is now underway on the construction of the 7,000 solar panel array, which will span the roofs of three buildings at Smart’s 60,000m2 manufacturing plant in the west of England. The project will be fully commissioned in Spring 2024.
The panels will provide Smart with 2.7GWh of green, reliable energy for decades to come, meaning 20% of the site’s current energy requirements will be fulfilled in this way, reducing operational CO2 emissions by 588 tonnes every year.
Dean Thomas, Smart’s Managing Director, said: “We’re excited to be working with Centrica to secure a significant portion of our energy demand from the roofs over our heads. Our net zero ambitions are at the heart of our growth strategy, and once construction is complete it will be great to know that a huge proportion of our future energy use will be both carbon neutral and affordable.”
The installation is the result of a long term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) agreement between Smart and Centrica Business Solutions, with Centrica leasing the roof space, financing the project and producing green electricity for Smart on site.
Justin Jacober, Managing Director at Centrica Business Solutions, said: “This project represents one of our largest roof top solar arrays to date and we’re delighted to be helping Smart meet its decarbonisation ambition. We want to continue supporting organisations’ growth in sustainability, which will in turn create more resilient businesses that can stand the test of time, as well as reducing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels to accelerate our journey towards net zero.”
