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Case study
Volac
Volac is a privately owned business that has been producing high-performance dairy nutritional products for over fifty years. Today, Volac’s focus is on ruminant nutrition, supporting high-performing dairy and beef systems where productivity must go hand in hand with an environmental responsibility to reduce Carbon.
5
Weeks Installation Time
84
Tonnes Of Carbon Saved Annually
399,031
kWh Annual Electricity Generation
428
kWp Array Output
Project Details
Volac chose to partner with Shawton Energy to install a rooftop solar photovoltaic system under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement, supporting its commitment to reducing carbon emissions while enabling access to renewable electricity without upfront capital investment.
Reducing exposure to grid price volatility
Efficient rooftop solar PV solution
5 week solar panel installation
The Process
Bespoke Solar Solution
The project involved the design and installation of a rooftop solar PV system fully integrated with the site’s existing operations. Careful planning ensured business continuity throughout the works, with installation completed over approximately five weeks.
Fully Operational Solar PV Solution
The system combined has 856 solar panels with a total installed capacity of 428 kWp, covering a generation area of 1,892.9 m². The PPA structure allows Volac to purchase the electricity generated on site at an agreed long-term rate, reducing exposure to grid price volatility while avoiding the need for capital expenditure.
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The Result
The rooftop solar installation is expected to generate approximately 399,031 kWh of renewable electricity each year, supplying a significant proportion of the site’s energy demand directly from on-site generation.
This will deliver estimated carbon savings of 84,564 kg of CO₂ annually, contributing to Volac’s commitment to reducing operational emissions and progressing towards net zero ambitions.
Beyond direct environmental benefits, the project provides long-term energy cost certainty and improved energy security, supporting the resilience of the Port Talbot facility while reinforcing Volac’s sustainability commitments.
“It’s great to see the project come to fruition, after it was identified as an option for us as part of a wider renewables energy study we completed in 2024.
The installation of these solar panels is the first tangible step to be completed on our Net Zero roadmap, as well as helping secure our electricity costs for the site in future years. We are looking at an energy return of circa 87% (own usage) from the 2 systems being installed, which combined will generate circa 399mWh/year and a saving of circa £60,000/year.
When Shawton were approved as our supplier of choice, the process from paper to installation has been fairly simple and streamlined, with the right people getting involved at the right time, so much so that we are already discussing a further installation with the team.”
Chris Johnson
Head of Risk, Management, Volac
*(against non-green grid electricity and current electricty pricing – Jan 26)
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