A Brighter Future Ahead: Kurt J. Lesker saves over £25,000 per year by installing Solar PV

Kurt J. Lesker Company® (KJLC®), designer and manufacturer of vacuum technology, is due to save £25,687.20 in energy costs per year thanks to the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with a combined capacity of 100.04 kWp on a factory site in Hastings. 

Having worked with Kurt J. Lesker since 2016, Advantage Utilities has enabled the company to pursue more favourable energy and gas contracts, simultaneously assisting them to get scope 1 and 2 emissions certified. 

In June 2023, Advantage Utilities then facilitated a large solar PV installation on one of Kurt J. Lesker’s factories in Hastings, enabling annual savings of £25,687.50. Estimated savings throughout the 25-year lifetime of the system amount to £513,265, based on energy costs of 25p/kWh, bringing the lifetime cost of electricity (LCoE) down to 5p/kWh. 

Kurt J. Lesker’s innovative approach reflects a sea change currently taking place within the manufacturing industry; nearly half of UK manufacturers surveyed by Make UK revealed they see the transition to net-zero as an opportunity. This is reflected in the 6.7% yearly increase in solar PV installations between June 2022 and June 2023.

Commenting on the recent installation, Simon Mansbridge, Managing Director at Kurt J. Lesker Company, said: “We’re incredibly pleased with the results of our recent installation. We’ve made energy savings of 85,624 kWh per year, meaning we now produce a third of our on-site energy needs at one of our sites in Hastings, with potential exports back to the grid also enabling energy savings. Advantage Utilities’ collaborative and respectful approach enabled us to deepen our relationship, having previously only focused on energy contracts.”

Dr. James Crosby-Wrigley, Head of Sustainability at Advantage Utilities. adds: “Kurt J. Lesker’s installation is a prime example of what’s possible through the latest solar PV technology – now one of the cheapest and greenest solutions for businesses. The reduction in their carbon footprint will be dramatic, with a carbon benefit relative to UK standard grid consumption of 20,409kg/20.5 tonnes of CO2 in the first year. To use another metric, that’s the US forest equivalent of 90 acres. Better still, the installation on the Hastings site will bring their factory’s energy bills down by 30%, an impressive result for Kurt J. Lesker.”

For more details on this project, visit the Advantage Utilities website here.