The Challenge

Environmental Energies worked with Cheddar Water, a bottling plant in Somerset, to find a renewable energy solution for their state of the art bottling plant. Cheddar Water extract their water from a spring in the Mendip hills, and following the installation of a new plant, they would be able to produce 8000 bottles a day. The solution needed to meet the environmental standards that are at the core of Cheddar Water’s corporate responsibility, as well as reduce their energy bills.

The Solution

Following a review of the plant, Environmental Energies recommended solar PV technology to meet the needs of the plant. They went on to install a 50kW roof mounted solar panel array, so that Cheddar Water could begin to generate their own sustainable energy rather than buying it from the National Grid. On top of this, Cheddar Water also invested in a biomass boiler to supply heating and hot water to both the offices and the plant itself.

The Result

The solar PV technology that was installed is now supplying much of Cheddar Water’s required power, and following their success, the business is now looking to expand its existing array by adding further solar panels. The installation was designed in such a way that this expansion will be straight-forward to install and manage. Cheddar Water’s carbon emissions have been reduced by 32 tonnes per annum, and the plant are now well on the way to becoming a carbon neutral company, in line with their environmental policy. What’s more, the company are seeing combined savings and income in excess of £11,000 per year, with a 15% ROI.