One of the UK’s leading strategic manufacturing outsourcing specialists has increased its green credentials after investing more than £150,000 into a new energy solution. PP Control & Automation (PP C&A), which works with 20 of the world’s largest machinery builders, has completed the installation of 450m² of solar panels on the roof of its world-class facility in Cheslyn Hay.

This should provide enough power to reduce the factories electricity consumption by 40% and will save more than 35 tonnes of CO² every year.

Ian Knight, PP Control & Automation COO, said: “We are continually looking at ways we can save energy, while also being kinder to the environment. The solar panel installation was an easy decision to make as we can nearly halve our energy bill in one go. Working with our supplier, we have installed 108 photovoltaic panels and this investment will pay for itself within four years.”

He continued: “There is a longer-term ambition to head towards carbon neutrality and losing 35 tonnes of CO₂ per year is a pretty good start to this commitment.”

Reducing its carbon footprint is a company-wide effort at the PP C&A, with all its 230 staff encouraged to offer ‘green improvement’ suggestions thorough a variety of continuous improvement schemes. This has led to the reduction of single-use plastic on the shopfloor and several recycling initiatives, all governed by its accreditation to the environmental best practice ISO:14001 standard.

Earlier investment had also seen the installation of LED Lighting, contributing to energy saving as well as improving the workplace environment.

Mr Knight continued: “Renewables and greener technologies — both through developments in electrification and wind power — is a big opportunity for our business and we are already helping customers build machines that offer new solutions in these markets.”

“The UK has a great opportunity to lead the world in carbon reduction — we just have to be brave and bold in the decisions we make and invest in creating a supply chain that can deliver the expertise and volumes that will undoubtedly follow.”

PP C&A has been fully operational throughout the entire pandemic, providing strategic outsourcing solutions to customers involved in food and drink, packaging, renewables and medical.

The company’s expertise in control and automation and contract manufacturing, combined with the ability to quickly set up new production cells, saw it supply critical wiring harnesses to the Ventilator Challenge UK consortium and a host of new Covid-19-inspired technologies designed to protect people and reduce the spread of the virus.

With the UK hopefully emerging from the pandemic, the company is targeting 20% growth this year after it saw sales surge post-lockdown.