Centrica Business Solutions and solar PV developer Push Power have completed the installation of solar PV systems at ten David Lloyd Leisure Clubs across the UK.
Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, contracted Push Power to design and install the roof-mounted PV systems. The first wave of installations took place at David Lloyd clubs in Basildon, Solihull, Southampton, Birmingham, Hull, Cardiff, Cambridge, Dartford, West Bridgford and Manchester, and the company notes that more locations will follow in the future. Nine of the ten installations are already operational and the Manchester site will be powered up next week.
The installations varied in size, from a 300 kWp installation with 708 panels in Manchester to a 631 kWp installation with 1485 panels in Cambridge. JA Solar supplied panels for all locations, while SolarEdge supplied the inverter and optimization equipment.
Nick Mingo, head of real estate and sustainability CAPEX at David Lloyd Clubs, said: “We have been working on a range of initiatives, including generating our own renewable energy on site, as part of our target to become net zero carbon by 2030. We are impressed with Centrica Business Solutions and Push Power and look forward to working with them throughout the remainder of the project.”
Noting the increasing attractiveness of solar installations for businesses, Christian Stella, UK&I director at Centrica Business Solutions commented: “the pressure to decarbonise and reduce costs is greater than ever and businesses are turning to on-site generation methods , such as solar energy.”
On-site solar energy for companies is becoming increasingly popular
The installations at David Lloyd Leisure Clubs are the latest in a growing number of businesses choosing to reduce their energy costs and carbon emissions with an on-site solar PV array.
In late September, luxury vehicle manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced it would install an array of 18,000 solar panels at its flagship factory in Halewood – enough to cover 10% of the site’s energy consumption.
Earlier that month, biotech company Fera Science appointed electrical specialist Meson Electrical to design and install a bespoke 150 kWp installation for its York Biotech Campus, consisting of 342 N-Type solar panels. The two companies estimate that Fera Science will save around £24,000 on its energy bills each year once the installation is complete.
GB NRG has also been busy and announced in August that it had successfully completed the installations at all Crendon Timber’s 15 sites, with a combined capacity of 2MW. The expected payback period for the solar installations is expected to be only two to three years.
