Surrey-based
Respirex a world leader in personal protective solutions, is the first company to use the new solar panel funding of up to £1 billion from
Electron Green. The installation, which started on 18 September, will cut Respirex’s electricity grid usage and is projected to save the firm more than £500,000 over 25 years.
Electron Green is installing 238 rooftop solar panels on Respirex’s buildings in Redhill where it manufactures and maintains gas tight suits, chemical splash suits, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear suits and other equipment for essential public and private sector industries.
The agreement is that Respirex pays nothing for installation or maintenance of the panels. This means: generation of 89,000kW for the business — enough power to supply more than 30 households; this will reduce usage of electricity from the grid by almost 25%; carbon savings 564 tonnes; and cost savings on energy bills of £10,500. Over 25 years, the reduction in energy bills means Respirex is likely to save over £500,000.
Electron Green, a leading solar developer, works with businesses to assess their commercial rooftops for solar, calculate cost savings, install and maintain the panels at no cost to the business hosting them, and supply low-cost solar electricity. Electron Green launched the funding to support UK businesses at a time when energy bills are escalating — and UK electricity usage is projected to increase by 56% over 2020 to 2036.
2023 Research by the
UCL Energy Institute for
CPRE, the countryside charity, showed that retrofitting solar to non-domestic rooftops in England alone could meet over half the UK’s solar target for 2035.
Mark Simpson, managing director at Respirex, said: “There is significant, global demand for advanced and specialist PPE — as domestic and international hazards increase in volume and complexity — and we have built a reputation as one of the world’s leading providers. Electron Green’s solar installation and management provides us with certainty about long-term, future energy expenditure, so we can invest in strategic planning with greater confidence. The projected cost savings are also particularly attractive at a time when we — and indeed almost every British business — are facing such challenging conditions.”
Daniel Green, CEO and founder of Electron Green, said: “We are delighted that the first installation from our funding programme of up to £1 billion is with such an impressive, economically valuable business. Respirex enables their clients to manage hazards with more certainty — now we are helping Respirex manage its energy usage with more certainty too.
“Our model gives UK businesses more control over how they manage and pay for power, and an easy way to have low-cost green solar electricity. Ultimately, ‘net zero’ targets are not going away, and we will continue to see a fall in fossil fuels and increase in demand for cleaner electricity. Businesses need the confidence that there is capacity to match greater demand, and flexibility about how they can pay for it. We are here, with our funding programme, to solve this problem.”