Draper Tools, a family-owned company since 1919, has unveiled a landmark solar installation at its North Baddesley warehouse facility, “demonstrating that heritage and green innovation can go hand in hand.”
Caroline Nokes, MP for the region, officially unveiled the site’s new live energy monitor on Friday 31st January, showcasing how the 900+ solar panel installation is already generating 73% of the facility’s power needs and has prevented over 40 tonnes of carbon emissions to date.
Matt Sheen, CEO at Draper Tools, commented: “This has been a significant investment for us as a business but one that we hope represents our commitment to the future and to sustainable business practices. We might be over 100 years old but we’re not standing still; we’re always looking to the future, adapting and evolving to meet the changing needs of our customers.”
The impressive project was delivered by solar experts local to Draper’s warehouse, Southampton-based Absolar. The Absolar team designed and delivered Draper’s solar project from start to finish, carefully placing 904 solar panels around more than 700 skylights on the site’s roof.
Indeed, the roof at Draper Tools’ North Baddesley warehouse is so large that the system uses a staggering 12.5km of cables to get the power from the roof into the building, and the installers clocked over 4 million steps during the installation process. Most significantly of all, the solar installation at Draper Tools means just over 100 tonnes of equivalent CO2 will be saved each year.
Dr Phil Wu of Absolar said: “Draper Tools’ ambitious solar project is a perfect example of how businesses can lead the way in sustainability. By embracing solar power alongside its other sustainable commitments, it is reducing carbon emissions, securing long-term energy savings, and setting a benchmark for other companies in the region.
“We are proud to have partnered with Draper Tools to design, deliver and manage this high-impact installation, demonstrating the added value of AI-powered technology in helping energy users benefit from sustainable energy systems.”
The solar installation at Draper’s North Baddesley site is part of the company’s wider commitment to sustainability, which includes ISO 14001 certification, recycling more than 80% of its waste and reducing plastic packaging.
Find out more at drapertools.com
Absolar uses state-of-the-art AI and Remote Sensing tools, together with experienced solar designers and engineers, to accurately assess the solar potential of rooftops. It combines these cutting-edge technologies with up-to-date market data to provide certainty over installation costs and investment returns.
The company says it offers turnkey solar installation and ongoing solar management to ensure the highest system performance, empowering businesses to confidently adopt sustainable investment.
For more information visit www.absolar.co.uk or to request your own remote solar assessment, visit find.absolar.co.uk
