Wimborne Electronics Store turns to solar energy for powering its hundreds of household appliances, televisions, and home theatre systems. The store settled for a 41kw solar system made up of 99 solar panels to cut hiking electricity bills.
Solar Energy Cuts Electricity Costs
Dacombes of Wimborne, a family-owned business established in the 1920s, has partnered with Low Carbon Dorset, an initiative by the Dorset Council offering grants to promote green practices among businesses.
Matt Renaut, the managing director of Dacombes, highlighted the significant electricity consumption of their operations, particularly from air-conditioning, lighting, TVs, and displays, likening it to the energy equivalent of three kettles boiling continuously.
"With air conditioning, lighting, TVs, and displays, our electricity drain equated to having three kettles boiling all day long," said Matt Renaut. “Before I could check our monthly electricity statement, I used to have to sit down. The rise over the past few years is concerning!”
Disturbed about escalating energy costs, Matt sought assistance through the Low Carbon Dorset grant program, a process that spanned five months from application to project completion, anticipating future energy price hikes, according to Dorset Biz News.
Dacombes Implements Eco-friendly Measures
Steven Ford, Corporate Director for Strategy, Performance, and Sustainability at Dorset Council, expressed that officers from the Low Carbon Dorset program collaborated closely with Dacombes to facilitate notable advancements in minimizing their environmental footprint and enhancing energy efficiency.
"The team at Dacombes has benefited greatly from the close collaboration of officers from our Low Carbon Dorset programme, which has helped them reduce their environmental impact and increase their energy efficiency.” Steven Ford stated.
The program provided complimentary technical guidance and a grant, enabling Dacombes to implement eco-friendly measures anticipated to substantially decrease their carbon emissions, reduce energy costs, and promote future sustainability endeavours.
"Dacombes has installed green measures that are expected to significantly reduce their carbon footprint, lower their energy bills, and support future green initiatives thanks to free technical advice and a grant from the programme," Steven added.
41kw Solar Panel System Consisting of 99 Panels Installed
Empower Energy, headquartered in Ringwood, installed a 41kw solar panel system consisting of 99 panels, which the company designed and will continue to maintain.
Mark Wingrove, Business Development Manager at Empower Energy, noted that the project was intricate, involving five roof elevations. “This was a complex project utilising five roof elevations,”
However, despite the complexity, the endeavour proved rewarding. Matt Renaut affirmed, stating that even amidst adverse weather conditions, the solar panels generated sufficient energy during daylight hours to power the store during operational hours.
"Even in the bad weather we're having right now, we're still producing enough energy during the day to power our store during its operating hours," said Matt Renaut.
Mark Wingrove emphasized the financial strain on commercial entities due to escalating energy costs without price cap protection, underscoring the importance of managing expenses and environmental impact.
"Commercial organisations, in contrast to residential energy consumers, are not protected by a price cap, thus handling the skyrocketing energy bill prices without knowing what the industry will do is a major financial burden,” Mark commented.
Dacombes Achieves Grid Independence
With the installation of solar panels, two EV van chargers, a Tesla battery, and the adoption of energy-efficient practices like heat pumps and lighting, Dacombes has achieved grid independence and cost control while minimizing its ecological footprint.
Looking ahead, Matt Renaut expressed aspirations for electric delivery vehicles in the future, highlighting the commitment to eco-friendly operations.
"To further minimise our carbon impact, we want to transition to electric delivery vans in Phase 2 of our green energy strategy. That we're moving towards operating an environmentally sustainable company makes me proud,” Matt concluded.
Dacombes of Wimborne has embraced sustainability by switching to solar energy. With a 41kw solar panel system installed, the electronic store is reducing its carbon footprint and gaining energy independence. With added eco-friendly features like EV chargers, Dacombes sets a commendable example of environmental responsibility.