Co-op has today (Wednesday 2 October 2024) announced its ambitions to install solar panels on a target of up to 700 sites across its food, funeralcare and logistic portfolio across the UK over the next three years.
As part of its journey to increase the amount of renewable power that it directly procures, Co-op is aiming to deliver 30,000 MWh generation of solar energy – which is enough to power the equivalent of around 12,500 homes – through the installation of up to 76,000 solar panels.
Additionally, adding the solar panels across the consumer co-operative’s estate will alleviate pressure on the wider national grid infrastructure and help drive Co-op’s commitment to become Net Zero across its own operations by 2035.
Heather Thomas, group property & sustainability director at Co-op, said: “Our investment in onsite power generation across our estate is part of Co-op’s commitment to playing its role in the transition to Net Zero. This project, alongside increasing our investment in corporate power purchase agreements, is crucial to guaranteeing that the energy we use in our operations is renewable and traceable.”
“It’s imperative that all businesses, no matter their size, address their environmental impact with high importance and this includes how energy is sourced.”
Over the next 12 months, Co-op’s property and procurement teams will work with its development partner, Zestec Renewable Energy, and audit the business’s portfolio to continue to identify suitable sites to move forward with construction and installation. Custom Solar, one of the UK’s largest Solar PV developers, will be working in partnership with Zestec and Co-op to design, develop and install the PV systems across the selected sites within estate.
Toby Smith, chief operations officer at Zestec, said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting Co-op on this important programme. This key milestone shows how funded on-site PPAs are a powerful way to make meaningful and scalable inroads towards net zero. As part of the Octopus group, Zestec will provide the funding, development, and operational management of this solar portfolio. We look forward to working with the teams and turning this important ambition into a reality. “
The news of the embedded solar power project follows on from the launch of a solar farm in Cambridgeshire – made possible by Co-op’s signing of a PPA – and a further agreement to take the entire output of a 34-megawatt solar farm, located in North Yorkshire, which is set to be fully operational in 2025.
