Booths in £275k solar panels investment

FAMILY-owned North West retailer Booths has installed 1,000 solar panels onto the roof of its central distribution centre in a £275,000 green investment.

The Preston company says the move will cut its CO2 emissions by an estimated 114 tonnes per year. It is expected that the panels will generate approximately 6% of all the electrical power consumed by the site, which contains its ambient and chilled distribution, manufacturing centre, and head office.

The annual output of the solar panelling is anticipated to be 223,074kWh. It is estimated that the power generated will equate to the electrical energy used by the head office  and could essentially power all functions including IT systems.

The installation by south Manchester company Styles&Wood Energy comes following the success of Booths trial installation which has been underway since 2011 on a smaller scale of 18 panels.

This investment is the latest of a a number of energy and waste efficiency improvements by Booths, which won the retailer a series of sustainability awards in 2013. These include introducing CO2 based refrigeration, air-sourced heat pump systems, and fitting doors to chilled retail cabinets to reduce carbon emissions.

A waste reduction initiative which is underway across all foods saved approximately £600,000 in lost revenue and 800 tonnes of CO2e in 2012. Additionally Booths reduced packaging by 55 tonnes–estimated to save 91 tonnes CO2e.

Edwin Booth, chairman of Booths, said: “Sustainability lies at the heart of our business, from short supply chains to energy efficient stores build with green principles. Booths are committed to reducing our carbon emissions even further. The installation of solar panels at our central distribution centre will have important environmental benefits over the coming years.”