Refresco has started a 21.5MWp rooftop solar programme across four UK beverage manufacturing facilities, including an 8.5MWp installation at its Bridgwater plant in Somerset. The programme is being engineered and delivered by GB NRG, with Zestec Renewable Energy selected to fund and manage the solar infrastructure through long-term power purchase arrangements backed by funds managed by Octopus Energy Generation.
The Bridgwater scheme will use more than 18,000 high-efficiency photovoltaic modules across a single continuous roof. Once operational, it is expected to generate approximately 7.5GWh of electricity each year, equivalent to around 17% of the manufacturing site’s annual demand. GB NRG describes it as a prospective UK record for a solar PV installation on one continuous roof. The output figures are project forecasts, while installation activity at the site is already under way.
Bridgwater operates as a live beverage manufacturing facility, with production continuing around the clock. Delivering a large rooftop electrical installation in that environment means coordinating construction access, roof protection, structural interfaces and electrical work around ongoing production. GB NRG says its design and delivery approach has been developed with Refresco to maintain operations and protect the roof throughout installation, rather than requiring the site to suspend manufacturing while the modules are fitted.
The 8.5MWp rating describes the combined peak output of the Bridgwater modules under standard test conditions. Actual generation changes with sunlight, temperature, orientation, shading and electrical losses. The projected 7.5GWh is an annual energy figure, and the estimated 17% share is measured against the plant’s annual electricity consumption. The proportion supplied at any one time will vary as photovoltaic output and factory demand change throughout the day.
Bridgwater’s continuous manufacturing demand provides an opportunity to use solar electricity at the point of generation, particularly during daylight production shifts. Output will still vary by hour and season, so the site’s electrical integration must accommodate changing contributions from the rooftop array and the grid. On the roof, maintenance routes, drainage, waterproofing and structural loading all influence the position of modules and mounting systems. Those design constraints must be managed while production and materials handling continue inside the building below.
Refresco appointed GB NRG after a competition involving 12 commercial solar providers. GB NRG then managed a separate funding selection process on behalf of the manufacturer, resulting in Zestec’s appointment as long-term financing and asset management partner. The arrangement separates the engineering and delivery function from ownership and management of the generating assets, while linking the electricity supplied to the manufacturing customer through power purchase agreements.
Through the power purchase agreements, Refresco will buy electricity from the installations while Zestec finances and manages the assets over the longer term. The structure provides an alternative to funding the entire capital cost through the manufacturer’s own balance sheet. It also connects the performance of the installed equipment with the contractual supply of electricity over time, making metering, maintenance and reliable operation part of the wider delivery arrangement.
The four-site programme broadens the engineering task beyond a single roof. Site-specific assessments determine how much module area is available, what loads the roof can support and how the generated power can be connected to each factory’s electrical distribution system. Design decisions depend on access for inspection, maintenance and replacement, as well as production, warehousing and other operations below the roof surface. Electrical protection and metering also need to be configured for electricity flowing from the roof into the factory’s existing installation. The disclosed portfolio capacity of 21.5MWp is the aggregate across all four plants.
James Logan, managing director of Refresco UK, has linked the investment to reducing grid electricity use and emissions from manufacturing. The installation programme must also support the reliability of beverage production, where electricity is needed for processing, packaging and associated site services. GB NRG is responsible for the engineering and installation programme, while Zestec will manage the generating assets under the agreed financing structure.
Work has progressed to installing mounting rails at Bridgwater while the factory continues operating. The next construction stages will connect the rooftop equipment with the site’s electrical infrastructure, allowing the planned generation capacity to be brought into service alongside existing plant loads. The other three factories will require installations suited to their own roofs and electrical systems, while metering and ongoing asset management will establish the performance of each completed array.
