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Sustainability is everybody’s business whether it is a FTSE 250 company or one of Britain’s 5.5 million small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). 

ScottishPower is encouraging business leaders across the country to consider adopting low carbon solutions by launching new advice on how using green technology could help improve their business’s finances and help save the planet.

SMEs account for 99.9% of UK enterprises and are responsible for around half of business carbon emissions. That equates to one third of the total UK emissions according to analysis from the British Business Bank. 

ScottishPower, the first major UK energy company to generate 100% renewable electricity, is on a mission to help business leaders support the UK’s drive to net zero emissions by 2050. This includes encouraging the adoption of green technologies such as solar panels.

Mark Bowen, Sales & Marketing Director at ScottishPower, said: “The combined carbon footprint of Britain’s small and medium-sized businesses is significant. That’s why we’re launching new advice to help business leaders make the right choices to reduce their carbon emissions and explore how they can also use green energy solutions to generate new revenue. 

“Our aim is to help businesses to decarbonise and support their transition away from fossil fuels. This new guide features short term wins to help them take control of their energy usage as well as longer term solutions to support their journey to net zero.”

The benefits of installing solar panels

Solar panels can provide businesses with the opportunity to use unused roof space or spare land to generate their own energy allowing them to become less vulnerable to fluctuating prices. Not only that but solar technologies could help boost their finances through new opportunities of previously untapped revenue streams.

With solar panels installed, businesses can sell any unused energy back to the grid with a Smart Export Guarantee tariff – which can be easily managed by partners like ScottishPower. This means that the adoption of solar energy can not only power their business but could also provide the opportunity to grow revenue by adding excess renewable energy to the national grid. 

Implementing solar power in tandem with other green technologies is another effective way to maximise a business’s energy production and consumption efficiency. For example, combining solar panels with a heating system that runs on electricity (such as a heat pump) can be an excellent way to maximise the energy produced by solar power against the energy a company uses. This approach will optimise energy management, reducing the effect of fluctuations in the energy market, whilst also helping to reduce that business’s carbon footprint. 

With solar panels installed, businesses can sell any unused energy back to the grid with a Smart Export Guarantee tariff – which can be easily managed by partners like ScottishPower.

If a business has already transitioned to an electric vehicle fleet, or plans to in the future, they could also enjoy savings by using the power generated by their solar panels to charge electric vehicles. 

Making the right choices and protecting the planet is increasingly important to many business leaders and their customers, so utilising green technologies can be a great way to reduce carbon emissions and make that business the first-choice destination for environmentally driven staff and customers.   

Green Guidance from ScottishPower

ScottishPower is at the forefront of renewable energy solutions and has the tools, tech and experience to tailor solar energy solutions to each individual business’s needs.

The switch to on-site renewable energy could help to protect businesses from future price movements, allowing them to weather economic uncertainty, as well as helping business leaders work towards hitting their carbon emissions and sustainability targets. 

High energy prices have seen demand for solar panels soar across the UK¹, helped by the fact that the cost of solar panels has dropped dramatically over the past decade making them a more cost-effective option than ever before.

ScottishPower can help get solar projects up and running with minimal hassle or impact to the business. Its team of experts can design an integrated solution that allows businesses to make the most of the energy they are generating and ensures they can continue to meet their energy needs in the longer term.

Building a business case for solar technology

Having a full understanding of green solutions, including what they could deliver for their business and the potential payback periods, is crucial to building a business case. 

Calculating the long-term return can be difficult and time consuming, and many business owners will struggle to find the time to explore them properly. An expert green energy solutions partner, like ScottishPower, can help with the maths and evaluate different options to ensure they make the right choice for their business.

Any business looking to find out more about seizing the opportunities of solar energy solutions can visit scottishpower.co.uk/greener-business to read more.

A solar success story – the benefits of making the switch to greener energy

One small business already enjoying the benefits of solar power is Glasgow-based food wholesaler Lomond Foods. Earlier this year ScottishPower completed a project to install 270 solar panels at its HQ and helped Lomond Foods emerge as a sustainability leader within its industry. 

By installing solar panels on previously unused roof space, the collaboration with ScottishPower is expected to reduce Lomond Foods’ CO2 emissions by around 50,000kg per year. Lomond Foods deliver ambient, chilled and frozen goods across Scotland and this upgrade gives them the ability to self-generate electricity, meaning the business is less reliant on imported energy from the national grid.

Sam Henderson, Managing Director at Lomond Foods, said: “Solar technology has been a game changer for us. Most of our energy is consumed by our refrigeration plant – around 90% of our electricity – so it’s brilliant to be able to self-generate our own energy by working alongside ScottishPower.

“We want to look after the environment around us, which can only be done by adopting greener energy solutions. We believe that sustainable business growth can be achieved by considering the environmental impact we have on the world.”

Lomond Foods is accelerating its progress towards achieving net zero emissions by 2025. Find out how your business could start on its own journey by reading ScottishPower’s green energy advice guide here: scottishpower.co.uk/greener-business

¹Federation of Master Builders, The UK is seeing the biggest surge in residential solar panel installations in years as the breakeven point gets shorter, 21 Nov 22. https://www.fmb.org.uk/homepicks/news/surge-in-solar-panel-installations/