Brewing company toasts success of green energy grant scheme

The Ludlow Brewing Company successfully applied to the Marches Renewable Energy Grant Scheme (MarRE) to meet half of the £24,850 cost of installing the panels on the roof of a warehouse at its base in Station Drive.

The solar PV system is expected to generate 28,868 kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy a year and save around eight tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every 12 months.

Project manager Adrian Marshall said with the 50 per cent grant contribution, the company could expect the scheme to pay for itself in energy savings in around four years.

“We are delighted to have been able to help the company with this scheme and drive down both their energy costs and carbon emissions. Schemes such as this are vital if we are to meet our climate change targets and create a sustainable future for generations to come.

“Not only is the brewery a producer of excellent ales, but it doubles as a fantastic centre for entertainment, community events and functions, so it is really pleasing that renewable energy will be at the heart of its future.

“These modern panels do not need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day, so will help reduce costs at the site every single day of the year.”

Marches LEP chief executive Gill Hamer said: “This is an excellent example of a company using this scheme to help it make more use of renewable energy, safeguarding the environment for the future and saving it money at the same time.”

Gary Walters, MD of Ludlow Brewing Company, said: “We are delighted to have been granted funding by the MarRE Scheme to enable the recent installation of solar panels, which will improve our sustainability.

“Solar power will play a significant role in our long-term sustainability goals, providing energy for our taproom and brewery - and, crucially saving emissions.”

The MarRE scheme is open to small and medium-sized enterprises as well as a range of other organisations across the Marches and can provide a 50 per cent grant towards the cost of installing renewable energy sources.

The scheme is managed by Herefordshire Council, supported by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Mr Marshall said grants would be awarded only for new installations under the scheme, which has been designed to be as straightforward as possible and covers a range of renewable technologies including wind power, solar energy, air-source heat pumps, ground-sourced energy supplies and biomass.

Projects in the range of 4 to 200kWp can be supported. Eligible applicants include statutory and non-statutory public funded organisations/bodies, Higher and Further Education institutions, voluntary, community and not-for profit organisations and private sector companies. Primary agricultural businesses and domestic premises are not eligible though.