Leafield Environmental saves £30K in a year with solar panel installation
12 months ago, Corsham’s Leafield Environmental took a significant step forward in its sustainability journey.
The award-winning UK manufacturer of litter and recycling bins, agricultural products, materials handling products and highways street furniture installed 504 solar panels to the roof of its manufacturing facility.
One year on and the installation has generated approximately 215 MWh of electricity, reduced the company’s grid electricity consumption by around 25% and saved over £37,000 in energy costs.
It has also offset approximately 38.16 tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to planting around 2,522 trees.
As an energy-intensive manufacturer, generating its own electricity has provided Leafield Environmental with greater resilience against rising energy costs.
Jonathan Rhodes, Leafield’s Finance Director, said, “The solar panel system allows us to keep production running on clean energy, with long-term savings and stability built in.
These savings are expected to grow year after year, with projected lifetime benefits of £1.42 million in reduced electricity costs and more than 1,031 tonnes of carbon emissions avoided over the system’s 25-year lifespan.
The solar project is part of Leafield Environmental’s wider commitment to reducing its environmental impact while maintaining efficient, high-quality UK manufacturing standards.
It builds on recent initiatives that have seen the company reduce cardboard and general waste volumes by over 50%, transition to 100% recycled packaging materials, and increase the use of hybrid and electric vehicles across its fleet.
