Work on 21,000 solar panels on our South Facing roofs is coming to a close, with the aim to save energy reduce our carbon footprint and cut bills.
The panels cover about 34,500 sq m of roof, equivalent to five-and-a-half football pitches, as detailed below.
When the solar “array” starts up the company hopes it will generate enough electricity to build about 1250 cars.
Our partners Lightsource funded the circa £10m scheme as part of a joint project, with Bentley entering into a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement.
Rising costs
The lease for the roof and Lightsource solar panels is for 25 years, so it is a long-term investment.
We wanted to improve our use of renewable sources of energy – wind power, solar power and biomass. Solar power was the most practical solution for us and it minimises disturbance for our neighbours.
We hope to generate 4,050,000 kWh of electricity which is about 15% of our total electrical energy usage. With energy costs increasing and a tough financial climate, all businesses are looking at ways to cut their bills as well as reduce their carbon emissions.
Solar power has the potential to make this happen and really revolutionise the way Britain’s homes and businesses generate energy.
The 21,046 235-Watt units will provide around 4050MWh of zero carbon electricity per year (or about 15 per cent of the factory’s electricity needs), which means annual savings of up to 2150 tonnes of CO2. The solar panels are being fitted to existing south-facing roofs by contractor Lightsource. Work started late December and is due to be completed at Easter.
This is a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable future for Bentley, as a company, we have a commitment to reduce the environmental impact of both our products and our operations. This installation shows that once again, the Bentley is a leader in the UK automotive sector in terms of its environmental management.
