Published
May 19, 2026
Innovation and digitalisation in food and beverage manufacturing covers an increasing number of technologies designed to help with efficiency, compliance and productivity. From automation to connected equipment, digital monitoring to traceability and smarter maintenance, there are a huge number of opportunities for UK manufacturers.
The 2024 Newton Future Factory Report, referred to in the UK government’s food strategy, identifies a £14bn productivity gap in UK food and drink manufacturing which could be plugged through further digitalisation, tech adoption and innovation.
For businesses to begin automating more processes and relying on more digital systems, they will also become more dependent on stable, cost-effective electricity. Here’s where solar comes in, supporting improved cost control, strengthening resilience and making better use of on-site assets.
How Innovation is Changing the Energy Profile of Food & Beverage Sites
The Institute for Manufacturing notes that digital technologies are changing how firms manufacture, how they operate, and how they compete. So much so, that the operational dependence on powered infrastructure continues to grow.
This is especially relevant in food and beverage, where many operations already depend on electrically driven systems across production, refrigeration, monitoring, and process control. Because of this, official UK data continues to track energy use in food manufacturing as a distinct industrial category, with it being top of the table for the overall average energy consumption for different UK industries.
In other words, smarter operations often mean greater reliance on power. The more connected and automated a facility becomes, the more important it is to think about electricity as a strategic input as well as an overhead.
The Challenge of Smarter Operations
As mentioned above, the reliance on power is the biggest challenge of smarter operations. Manufacturers remain exposed to volatile energy prices whereby the UK government continues to update industrial energy price statistics due to this being such a major business concern.
For food and beverage manufacturers, this creates a difficult balance. Investment in automation and digitalisation is often intended to improve productivity, consistency, and control. But if the site’s energy strategy doesn’t evolve alongside that, rising or unstable electricity costs can eat into the value those improvements should generate.
This is why energy and digitalisation should be thought about together, as in the government’s work on energy digitalisation. The focus on building more connected and coordinated energy systems makes it clear how systems and services fit together, and supports the consistent delivery and scaling benefits for both the consumer and the energy system.
Where Solar Fits Into a More Modern Manufacturing Strategy
Solar works best when it’s treated as operational infrastructure. Not only is it a low-carbon option, it can also support a more resilient and cost-conscious operating model. The UK Solar Roadmap highlights rooftop solar, in particular, as a practical route for businesses to reduce bills and support energy security.
For food and beverage manufacturers with suitable roof space, electricity demand, and a longer-term view of site performance, on-site solar can complement overall efficiency, innovation, and digital control. This does not necessarily mean it will power every process directly, but it can offset a site’s electricity use considerably.
In turn, this improves predictability and supports a broader strategy built around a smarter use of assets. In a manufacturing environment where digital systems underpin day-to-day operations, this can make a huge difference.
How On-Site Solar Energy Generation Can Support Automation & Digital Infrastructure
On-site solar can help automation and digital infrastructure by generating some power where it’s used, therefore reducing the amount that has to be purchased from the grid during solar-generation hours. It can also strengthen the business case for digitalisation in a more indirect way.
When a manufacturer is investing in automation, data capture, or smarter control systems, a more robust energy strategy helps protect the return on that investment. Consequently, it becomes easier to frame solar as part of the infrastructure that supports modern, more digital manufacturing.
A More Joined-Up View of Innovation & Energy
Rather than treating technology, operations and energy as separate entities, the most effective manufacturing strategies connect them together.
- Digitisation – improves visibility, control and efficiency
- Automation – raises throughput and consistency
Both of these increase the importance of electricity as a core operational dependency, so they are all linked and should be considered together strategically.
Solar should be recognised as part of a modernisation strategy for food and beverage sites because it supports a wider investment in process improvement. In a sector under pressure to enhance productivity, manage cost and modernise operations, on-site generation can help make innovation more commercially sustainable.
By helping reduce exposure to volatile energy costs, making better use of on-site assets and strengthening the resilience of modern manufacturing operations, food and beverage manufacturers can power digitalisation in a way that supports long-term performance with the help of solar energy.
Noble Green Energy are here to help deliver energy strategies that support innovation as well as sustainability. Get in touch with our team today to discuss your solar requirements.
We are also exhibiting at Sustainable Food Factory on 16th June, so come and visit us!
