As we continue our 2024 Factory Refresh, we're excited to announce the completion of the next stage: increasing our solar energy capacity. With the help of the brilliant team at Empower Energy Ltd, we’ve reinstalled our original 150kW of panels and added an extra 90kW, bringing our total solar power generation to 240kW.

This upgrade means that during the summer months, we’ll be generating more energy across the 554 solar panels than we need for production, allowing us to export the surplus back to the grid. Even with 24/7 operations and the shorter winter days here in the UK, we expect to generate over 30% of our annual energy from solar power—around 170,000kWh per year. This will save an incredible 40,000kg of CO2 annually, taking us a significant step closer to Net Zero manufacturing.

Check out the timelapse to see the installation in action!

Our solar journey so far…

Solar power was first brought to GW Martin back in 2013, and since then, our original panels have produced 1.2 million kWh of clean energy. That’s the equivalent of saving 470 tonnes of CO2 emissions, or planting 14,000 trees! By upgrading our solar power system and implementing other energy-saving measures like air source heating and LED lighting, we’re continuing to reduce our energy usage and carbon footprint.

As a JOSCAR accredited business, we were one of the first companies to register for JOSCAR Zero to demonstrate our commitment towards Net Zero Manufacturing. These initiatives not only help the environment but also enable us to offer a sustainable supply of machined parts to our customers, while maintaining our ISO14001 accreditation.