Central Co-op Partners with Sol PV Group, Reinforcing Commitment to Sustainability
Earlier this week Central Co-op – alongside four other major retailers – signed an open letter calling on the Government to “green the energy grid” by powering investment into renewable energy, and now Central Co-op has reinforced its long-term vision to be self-sufficient and invest in greener forms of energy by partnering with Yorkshire-based commercial renewable company Sol PV Group Ltd. to provide over 12MWp of Solar PV systems across its property portfolio.
Sol PV Group has already delivered successful test sites at Dersingham and Weeping Cross’ food stores, and this new partnership will see installations upwards of 12MWp of rooftop solar panels across even more food stores, funeral homes, filling stations, and more over the next 6-12 months. These will all use SolarEdge technology which Sol PV Group will maintain for the next 25 years, including around 31,000 modules.
What this means for Central Co-op is savings of over 11 million kWh. On top of this, Carbon Savings for Central Co-op will amount to around 3,450 tonnes per year, contributing to its carbon reduction. Central Co-op have reduced their carbon emissions by 80% since 2010 and have been awarded the Carbon Trust Triple standard four times in a row.
Paul Dennis, Chief Operations Officer at Central Co-op, said: “Renewable energy is such an important cause for all of us here at Central Co-op, and we’re always pleased to find partners as passionate as we are. Sol PV’s previous work at Dersingham and Weeping Cross provided an excellent taste of the partnership and we’re looking ahead to a brighter future with their contributions, especially considering all the carbon savings to help us in our commitment to sustainable energy.”
“Our purpose is to create a sustainable Society for all and we can’t think of a better way to demonstrate that than by showing our commitment to keeping the environment safe for everyone to enjoy. We thank everyone for their hard work in making this possible.”
Sol PV Group Founder & Managing Director Tony Waite commented: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded such a prestigious contract as the Central Co-op PV roll out. I would like to thank the team at Central Co-op for working so closely with us over the past 18 months. It has been an absolute privilege.”
“I’d also like to thank the amazing team at Sol PV Group, for their continual dedication and commitment. This determination has enabled Partnerships of this prestigious nature to be possible. Sol PV Group now has an extensive pipeline of commercial project & will see us become one of the largest commercial renewable companies in the UK. This project will continue to create job opportunities within the renewable energy sector, both locally and nationwide.”
About Central Co-op
Central Co-op is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, with a heritage stretching back over 175 years and interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.
Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its 7,700 colleagues serve customers across 440 plus trading sites in 19 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Its purpose is to create a sustainable Society for all.
It actively campaigns for food justice and works with FareShare Midlands and a network of local food banks. It also adds £1 to every Healthy Start Voucher redeemed in store and supports six schools in partnership with Magic Breakfasts.
The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter. The Society is also a member of Diversity in Retail and it is fully committed to addressing the impacts of climate change by reducing carbon and food waste, increasing recycling and investment in community Sustainable Spaces funded by the carrier bag levy. It recently launched its Malawi Partnership to support farmers and producers in the country through the Co-operative International Trading Development Fund.
It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £109,769.25 shared out between 121 good causes in 2022.
Press office contact: Sam Bishop, PR Specialist
Contact details:
07385 048048