The investment aims to reduce the Bolton construction firm's reliance on the local grid by almost two thirds, and is due for completion by the end of the year. Surplus electricity generated by the solar farm will be stored in a 122kw battery system, helping the estate make greater use of its renewable generation and manage demand across the 1,913m² office building, onsite storage facilities and EV chargers. Further upgrades include doubling the number of EV chargers on site.
The decarbonisation upgrade of the site comes as Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, Mayor of Bolton, visited to officially launch the office’s newly redeveloped 630m² garden, which features a vegetable patch and two bee hives, supporting both biodiversity in the local area. Seddon has plans to donate the fresh produce to local schools once the hives have established.
Cllr Mohammed Iqbal said: “Seddon's investment in renewable energy demonstrates the scale of change that can be achieved when committing to decarbonisation. Not only will this lead to substantial energy and cost savings, and less pressure on the grid, the garden is a great space to support employee wellbeing and local biodiversity - an all-round example of the future we want to work with businesses to create for Bolton.”
Nicola Hodkinson, owner and director at Seddon, said: “We do extensive work to support the sustainable development of our clients' buildings, so it felt essential to lead by example. We have made significant changes to the running of our estate to ensure it is future-proofed and positively contributing to the local environment. What is particularly rewarding is how our staff have taken ownership of the garden - learning how to propagate and look after the veg and flowers - it really has created an environment where people want to be”