Case Study:
Marshfield Farm Ice Cream, Nr Bath

Marshfield Farm Ice Cream Ltd

780.99 kWp (1,925 QCells panels) installed

I scream, you scream, we all scream for…

Marshfield Farm Ice Cream is a family owned farm in South Gloucestershire. From small beginnings servicing the local shop and cafe, the business has grown into national wholesaler of delicious ice cream, supplying over 8,000 independent Marshfield Farm Ice Cream parlours, cafés, restaurants and farm shops across the country.

From crop, to cow, to cone

Farmed by the Hawking family since the early 1970s, Marshfield Farm is Red Tractor approved and has been Soil Association Organic for more than 20 years. Tending to the land using regenerative and sustainable farming methods, Marshfield Farm makes over thirty award-winning flavours of dairy ice cream from its herd of over 240 British Friesian cows, with the entirety of ice cream production made on-site in converted barns. Only milk from the farm’s own herd goes into making fresh ice cream; from crop, to cow to cone in 24 hours.

Happy families for a healthy planet

Marshfield Farm’s mission is to be the most loved ice cream of British families, while doing everything possible to have a positive impact on the planet. The company is B Corp certified, meeting rigorous Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance standards. Marshfield Farm has taken this further by integrating a 3 year ESG Strategy, with individual, targeted goals across the whole business.

The company’s environmental goals include building on work already done to reduce energy use where possible, and to create its own energy from renewable sources. These measures have included 100% of heat requirements coming from a wood pellet boiler, heating and cooling of ice cream coming from a heat exchanger, and all lights being timed LEDs. As the scale of production increased it was an obvious decision to increase the amount of electricity generated from solar PV across the available roof space of the factory, barns and farm buildings.

Word of mouth

Given Marshfield Farm has grown through perfecting their craft and happy customers spreading the word, it seemed only fitting that Mypower was recommended to Marshfield Farm by one of our own happy customers, and we were invited to propose the most appropriate design to meet the farm’s energy needs.

We recognised that installing solar PV across multiple buildings required intricate planning of cabling, distribution and data connectivity, with the latter being of particular importance to demonstrate the carbon savings pledged in Marshfield Farm’s ESG commitments.

Can I have some more please?

The resulting 446 kWp installation increased Marshfield Farm’s solar energy capacity by 400%, helping the farm source over 40% of its total energy needs from on-site renewable sources. And we’re not done - in the first half of 2024, Mypower completed Phase 2 of the farm’s solar project adding a further 334 kWp on the roof of the farm’s new state of the art cold store, which itself reduces food miles and emissions within Marshfield Farm’s supply chain.

During the main daylight hours of the summer months, the system will meet the site’s electricity needs. Any excess electricity is sold to the grid.

Key facts and predictions

780.99 kWp (1,925 QCells panels) installed.
699,400 kWh units of energy produced per annum.
£150,021 projected first year income and savings.
33.3% projected first year return on capital invested, before capital allowance benefits.
4.25p/kWh - the equivalent forward purchase price of 16 million units of electricity over 25 years including estimated operating & maintenance costs.
3 years - system payback before finance, tax and capital allowance and grant benefit.
£6,076,056 - a 25-year income and savings after indexation.
86% saving from solar PV electricity compared to grid supplied electricityat 30p/kWh.
144.8 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided per annum.

“Marshfield Farm Ice Cream is a family run, multi-generational business and our ice cream is dependent on the health of our cows, the land they roam and our planet. Installing more solar panels on the otherwise unused rooftops of our buildings will mean the farm will be powered by renewable energy into at least the next generation. Mypower have been an ideal fit for Marshfield Farm, acting with care and professionalism, and we look forward to welcoming the team back for the next phase (and some more ice cream).”

Angus Hawking, Director

“Mypower has been delighted to work with Marshfield Farm, a South West success story making great ice cream that so many of us and our own families enjoy. To work on the beautiful surroundings of the farm, knowing that we’re making a contribution to all of the positive stewardship of their land and our environment, makes Marshfield Farm exactly the type of business we’re proud to call a Mypower customer”.

Tom Sivil, Mypower Project Manager