Energy firm helps car dealerships go green with £3.2m solar project

Beverley-based EnergyForce is installing more than 6,700 roof-mounted solar panels across more than 40 of the Vertu Motors group’s UK dealerships in a £3.2m scheme to help Vertu generate all its electricity from renewable and clean sources.

The panels, generating in the region of 2,000 MWh of electricity – at least a quarter of Vertu’s total consumption – will enable the 40 dealerships to offset a combined 596 tonnes of CO2.

EnergyForce is also Vertu’s electric vehicle (EV) charging point installation and management partner, and has installed more than 115 EV charge points across Vertu Motors’ 194 nationwide dealerships. Within this agreement, EnergyForce provides continuous monitoring of more than 224 charging outlets and has, so far, managed the delivery of over half a GWh of charge for EVs at Vertu Motors’ sites.

EnergyForce has so far installed more than 1000 electric vehicle charge points at car dealerships and manages, on average, 122 MWh of EV charging per month.

Chris Kirkwood, chairman of EnergyForce, said, “Vertu Motors plc is one of the motor retail industry’s most forward-thinking organisations and we are very pleased to work in partnership with Vertu to deliver this renewable energy generation infrastructure.

“This major project and our established EV charger agreement with Vertu Motors is indicative of our presence and reputation in the motor retail market as operators look to achieve increased cost-effective energy efficiencies for their dealerships and utilise a more responsibly sourced electricity supply.”

David Crane, chief operations officer at Vertu Motors plc, said: “We’re pleased to be working with EnergyForce to deliver this project, which has already delivered a significant improvement in our energy sourcing strategy.”