Consumers are making greener choices with research showing sharp year-on-year increases in the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles, whilst government initiatives are contributing to the exponential adoption of electronic vehicles.  

The agricultural and horticultural sectors cover a wide range of practices, such as pig and poultry farming, dairy farming, crop growing and storage, yet there are a number of common areas where energy is being used in extremely high volumes: lighting, heating, ventilation, air circulation and refrigeration equipment, according to shropshire.gov.uk. Lighting alone can account for up to 20% of energy used in agricultural and horticultural businesses.

Farms and agri-processing businesses are ideally suited for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, given the availability of space and existing grid connections. By integrating solar power into agri-infrastructure, owners can secure a consistent source of electricity which lowers operational costs. RenEnergy offers a reliable solution by designing, installing and maintaining solar PV arrays that offer a lifetime of value.

Preparing for the Future: Sustainable Supply Chains

As part of their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments, supermarkets are increasingly looking towards sourcing locally and subsequently will want work with sustainable suppliers that are actively engaging in environmental stewardship. An increasing number of supermarkets are adopting the LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) marque accreditation across their supply chains – underpinned by Integrated Farm Management principles, which includes Energy Efficiency as a criteria.

As we see increasing regulations being implemented on suppliers, it is inevitable that all agri-businesses will need to acknowledge their environmental impact and the ways in which they can adapt their practices to meet new standards. When one also takes into account the cost of energy and the potential for substantial returns on investment, there is no better time for farmers and agri-business owners to be installing solar at their premises.

Agri-businesses need to save energy costs and make progress on their sustainability commitments. It’s clear that the need for solar energy will only increase. But how can businesses afford to meet this growing demand?

RenEnergy has a finance solution for large agricultural businesses that want to transition to solar energy, but who do not necessarily have access to the capital or want to deploy their capital to support their core business. Introducing RenFree as a solution, where your business can gain all the benefits of solar PV, without any of the upfront capital investment.

With RenFree, we will finance and install solar carports on your existing open parking area. Your business then purchases the electricity generated by the carports from RenEnergy at a lower-than-market-rate to be used in your business. This provides a very real competitive advantage – saving you money, helping you maintain production and adding to your employee and/or customer value proposition. 

Don’t worry if it seems a bit complicated. Our renewable energy consultants will work with you to design a custom solution for your parking area, for maximum energy yield and minimal disruption. And with majority of our clients, not one parking space is sacrificed. We will also cover the RenFree agreement with you to answer all your questions – it includes details such as an option for you to buy the solution from us, that it’s transferrable in case the building is sold and what services you can expect from us.

You may be eligible if: 

• Your business has an open area that can accommodate 10 bays or more
• The area is unshaded by for example, buildings or trees
• You want to save on your energy costs
• You want to secure a consistent source of electricity
• Your customers are increasingly making choices based on product and service suppliers’ commitment to the environment 

RenEnergy has solid experience in a variety of environments, we’ve even built a plane port! We’ve been developing our bespoke frames and technology applications over years and have successfully installed car parks at various agricultural clients. We would love to talk to you about RenFree and whether it could be a good fit for your premises. 

Curious? Phone us on 01603713448

Email info@renenergy.co.uk

Go to www.renenergy.co.uk/finance to find out more about RenFree