Bennetts Ice Cream, Worcester

Bennetts Ice Cream

196.72 kWp (619 solar panels) installed in Worcester

Bennetts Foods Ltd have been making delicious ice cream for over 30 years and offer an impressive range of traditional and contemporary flavours, from Strawberry to Salted Caramel. Their ice cream is made with fresh milk and fresh double cream from their own dairy herd on the Bennetts family farm.

A long history and sustainable future

Bennetts has a long family history of dairy farming dating back over 100 years. In the early 1980's, they began producing ice cream using natural flavours and ingredients, which has earned them a reputation for excellence in both quality and taste. Mypower designed and installed two separate solar PV projects for Bennetts, who have proven that the key to their long history is to always look towards the future.

In 2019, Mypower installed a 93.77kWp PV system on Bennetts' factory and packing unit, which provided 11% of the company's total electricity requirements. This 'undersized' system was, nonetheless, estimated to save them over £10,500 per annum. In December 2020, following a re-roof of the company's office and cold store, Mypower installed a further 102.95kW of solar PV, giving Bennetts further savings of more than £11,500 per annum.

Together, the installations provide 167,626 kWh units of energy per annum at the equivalent cost of 5p per unit. This represents a 62% saving compared to their usual price of 13.5p for electricity supplied by the grid.

The commercial savings speak for themselves, but there are also impressive environmental savings. Bennetts Food will now avoid 35.5 tonnes of CO2 every year, reducing their carbon footprint significantly and allowing them to operate as a more environmentally sustainable business.

40% grant funding

Both systems were partly grant funded by the Worcestershire Low Carbon Opportunities Programme which offered 45% owards the total installation costs. The grant aims to help SMEs based in Worcestershire to reduce their carbon footprint by helping them fund renewable energy technologies. The grant funding was worth £53,500 and meant that Bennetts' return on investment increased from 16.5% to 27.5% while overall savings from solar PV increased to an impressive 84%. The grant application process was straightforward, with Mypower providing support and guidance as required.

Key facts and predictions

196.72 kWp (619 panels) installed.
167,626 kWh units of energy produced per annum.
£22,112 projected first year income and savings.
16.5% projected first year return on capital invested, before capital allowance benefits.
5p/kWh - the equivalent forward purchase price of 3.8 million units of electricity over 25 years including estimated operating & maintenance costs.
6 years - system payback before finance, tax and capital allowance and grant benefit.
£1,304,044 - a 25-year income and savings after indexation.
63% saving from solar PV electricity compared to grid supplied electricity at 30p/kWh.
34.7 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided per annum.

“As a long-standing family business, we were keen to reduce our carbon footprint in addition to saving on our substantial electricity bills, so solar PV seemed to be the best solution. The team at Mypower provided excellent advice and service throughout the installation of both our solar PV systems and we are very pleased with the results. We would recommend Mypower to any business that may be considering installing solar panels."
Duncan Bennett, MD at Bennetts Ice Cream

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