Published
January 24, 2025
Sustainable Food Factory is the UK’s foremost event on decarbonising your food and beverage operations.
Taking place on 11th June 2025, at the Derby Arena, The Sustainable Food Factory Conference and Exhibition is designed for senior decision-makers responsible for decarbonising food and beverage operations.
It brings together the UK’s value chain to learn, collaborate, network and share best practices in sustainable food and beverage operations.
Two of the event sponsors, James Pullin, General Manager at Noble Green Energy, and Michael Cropper, Director at L&C Utility, joined host Iain McLean in this webinar to discuss how solar PV can help to power UK Food & Beverage manufacturing in a high-energy price market.
Find out more about Sustainable Food Factory and book your place at: https://sustainablefoodfactory.live
Some of the key points from the Sustainable Food Factory Webinar were:
- How solar PV can help UK food and beverage manufacturers tackle short-term and future energy challenges, while also stabilising costs, boosting sustainability, and strengthening brand reputation.
- Operational benefits solar PV can bring to a manufacturing facility.
- Practical advice to help you make more informed energy decisions.
- How have energy prices changed in recent years and what is the outlook for the future?
- Have recent price increases and energy price uncertainty made solar PV a more attractive option for manufacturers?
- How the landscape has changed since the 2010s and early 2020s when perhaps the ROI wasn’t so favourable?
- Which other factors have contributed to faster payback on solar PV?
- As efficiency improvements in solar PV continue, how will they affect future installation costs?
- What other factors should Food and Beverage manufacturers consider if they are thinking about implementing solar PV?
- Why it’s important to do your due diligence when calculating your solar PV ROI, to ensure you also factor in the non-commodity costs involved in taking your power from the grid (such as fixed and standing charges).
- What impact will future grid modernisation have on the end user and energy prices, and how can solar PV help to mitigate against this?
- What restrictions might the Distribution Network Operators place on Food & Beverage manufacturers installing solar PV? What is the current peak install allowed, and how much energy can you offset with solar PV?
- In terms of current contracts, what energy strategies should manufacturers’ consider, and what actions can they take?
- Why solar PV should be considered as part of a comprehensive energy strategy.
- What is the possible impact of a solar PV installation on your existing energy contract?
- How solar PV can support additional energy use, such as from EVs and heat pumps.
- What are the risks associated with solar PV installation, and how can a solar professional help manufacturers mitigate against these?
- What are the insurance requirements for solar PV installation, and how can a solar PV professional help to advise on compliance?
- Why solar PV, when implemented correctly, is the future of clean tech for UK.
- Why it’s essential to secure buy-in across the wider business, and how this can contribute to the overall success of the business.
- How there is also the potential to gain added value from export agreements, PPAs or direct wires to a local business.
Watch the webinar to find out the answers to these questions and more.
James and Michael will be at the Sustainable Food Factory event to discuss how solar PV could help to empower your food or beverage manufacturing business.
To book an appointment contact: getintouch@noblegreenenergy.co.uk or call 0345 266 0023
Find out more about Sustainable Food Factory and book your place at: https://sustainablefoodfactory.live
