Zestec Renewable Energy, a power purchase agreement (PPA) provider, has announced a partnership with UK retailer Co-op to deploy up to 30 MW of rooftop solar installations.
Solar installations across Co-op’s 700 UK locations will be part of the retailer’s efforts to achieve its net zero ambition by 2035. Under the PPA model, Zestec will design, develop, finance and actively manage rooftop solar PV systems. op does not have to pay any initial capital costs.
The first phase of the rollout is underway, with Zestec and its supply partner Custom Solar identifying approximately 25 initial locations to deploy the first 1MW of solar PV. The company’s COO Toby Smith said Zestec is “excited” to support Co-op’s investment in on-site clean energy generation, adding that the milestone “demonstrates how on-site funded PPAs can powerful way to take meaningful and scalable steps towards net zero. ”.
Heather Thomas, Co-op Group property and sustainability director, said: “Our investment in on-site energy generation on our estate is part of Co-op’s commitment to playing its part in the transition to Net Zero. This project, in addition to increasing our investments in corporate power purchase agreements, is crucial to ensure that the energy we use in our operations is renewable and traceable.”
Zestec is part of Octopus Energy, which was acquired by the utility’s generation arm at the end of 2022. Earlier this year, it installed a 710 kWp solar system for the “world’s largest vertical farm,” owned by the Jones Food Company.
This is the latest in Co-op’s efforts to implement solar energy into its operations. In April it announced two partnerships: a “major partnership” between the Midcounties Co-operative and Big Solar Co-op, and a PPA to acquire power generated at ScottishPower Renewables’ Coldham solar farm in Cambridgeshire. ScottishPower Renewables will provide Co-op with a peak capacity of 9MW of clean energy – enough to power around 55 Co-op food stores.
