The project
Millworks Timber imports and processes timber at its Cambridge manufacturing and distribution site. Processing equipment creates substantial daytime electricity demand, so the business wanted to generate more of its own power and reduce its reliance on grid electricity.
We installed an 80 kW solar PV system on the site’s newly clad roof. The array was designed with the business’s working hours in mind, so renewable electricity generated during the day could be used directly by its manufacturing operations.
The facility remained operational throughout the project. Installing solar panels on an active industrial site meant working around production activity and coordinating closely with the people managing the building. We planned the installation with the site team to keep work moving safely and minimise disruption to day-to-day operations.
Matching the array to daytime activity was a central part of the brief. A manufacturing site can use substantial amounts of electricity while machinery is running, so generation during working hours has a clear use on site. We designed the installation around that pattern and the roof available for the panels.
The completed solar PV system generates renewable electricity on site at times that align with much of Millworks Timber’s operational demand. Using that electricity within the facility helps reduce the amount purchased from the grid and supports the company’s aim to manage energy costs. It also helps lower the carbon impact of its electricity use. The result is a practical renewable-energy installation designed around a working manufacturing site, rather than one that asks the business to change how it operates.
