Surrey based manufacturer is first for £1bn solar panel funding

Respirex, a world leader in personal protective solutions, is the first company to use the brand-new solar panel funding of up to £1 bn from Electron Green. The installation started on 18 September 2023, will cut Respirex’s electricity grid usage and is projected to save the firm more than £500,000 over 25 years.

Starting on 18 September, Electron Green is installing 238 rooftop solar panels on Respirex’s Redhill, Surrey, buildings. These facilities are used to manufacture and maintain gas tight suits; chemical splash suits; chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear; and other equipment for essential public and private sector industries.

Electron Green launched the funding to support UK businesses at a time when energy bills are escalating and UK electricity usage is projected to increase by 56 per cent over 2020 to 2036.

2023 Research by the UCL Energy Institute for CPRE, the countryside charity, showed that retrofitting solar to non-domestic rooftops in England alone could meet over half the UK’s solar target for 2035.

Mark Simpson, managing director at Respirex says: “There is significant, global demand for advanced and specialist PPE, as domestic and international hazards increase in volume and complexity, and we’ve built a reputation as one of the world’s leading providers.

“Electron Green’s solar installation and management provides us with certainty about long-term, future energy expenditure, so we can invest in strategic planning with greater confidence. The projected cost savings are also particularly attractive at a time when we – and indeed almost every British business are facing such challenging conditions.”

Daniel Green, CEO and founder of Electron Green, says: “We are delighted that the first installation from our funding programme of up to £1bn is with such an impressive, economically valuable business. Respirex enables their clients to manage hazards with more certainty, now we’re helping Respirex manage its energy usage with more certainty too.

“Our model gives UK businesses more control over how they manage and pay for power, and an easy way to have low-cost green solar electricity. Ultimately, net zero targets aren’t going away, and we will continue to see a fall in fossil fuels and increase in demand for cleaner electricity.

“Businesses need the confidence that there is capacity to match greater demand, and flexibility about how they can pay for it. We’re here, with our funding programme, to solve this problem”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily