Universal Business Team
Capacity: 226.6kWp
Installation date: March 2019
UBT is a global enterprise spanning 19 countries supporting clients with business advisory and group buying services to help businesses maintain a competitive edge.
UBT’s business advisory services includes corporate training, consulting and facilitating leadership and excellence for clients in their respective industries. UBT nurtures mutually beneficial relationships between member businesses and world-leading providers of business goods and services.
In September 2018, UBT made the decision to have a fully funded solar PV system installed at their office in Warwick by Perfect Sense Energy (PSE) and Zestec Asset Management (Zestec). The brief was to install an optimal sized solar PV system based on on-site electricity consumption which delivered the maximum potential savings against ongoing electricity costs and carbon emission reductions in the short and long term.
Under Zestec’s power purchase agreement (PPA) scheme, UBT will:
Reduce their electricity grid tariff by 38% for the solar energy generated and consumed on site
Reduce total annual electricity bill by c.13%
Displace c. 68 Tonnes of CO2e each year
Achieve forecast savings of c.£900k over the 30-year lease term
As well as being important to their sustainability & cost reduction objectives, this initiative serves as a pilot, with the possibility of future installations across other group locations.
UBT is committed to optimising their environmental footprint, so utilising energy from sustainable sources was a key factor in the decision to install a solar PV system, allowing them to act responsibly and bring value to their stakeholders.
UBT manage the building for Focus Learning Trust, who own the property and are a registered charity. This added some complexity to the overall legal process as additional charities act and landlord consents were required to be obtained.
After a detailed survey and due diligence, Zestec’s partner, PSE designed and installed a 226.6kWp solar PV system using BYD solar modules and Solis inverters.
Because UBT wanted to maximise the forecast energy savings, they needed to work with a partner who utilised the best technology available, had extensive expertise and offered a long-term, hassle free financing and active management renewable energy solution.
Dan Haughton, HR & Facilities Country Manager for UBT UK, commented;
“This is the first fully funded solar PV system installation at a UBT premises and we are delighted to have worked with Zestec and PSE. They successfully navigated a complex legal ownership structure and have delivered a high-quality system which is forecast to provide c.£900k of electricity cost savings during the term of the Lease.
It has been a pleasure working with the team and I can endorse their quality customer-focused solar PPA solution.”
Now complete, c.90% of the solar energy generated onsite will be consumed by UBT, expected to be around 219,131 kWh per year.
We asked Dan Haughton some questions about the experience with Zestec:
1. What challenges or needs did you face in your industry that led you to look for a solution like ours?
UBT wanted to reduce energy costs without large capital commitment and are conscious of our corporate responsibility towards our environment.
2. Describe your selection process and what criteria you were looking for. How did you go about searching for a solution?
UBT wanted a solution that did not take extra space was transferable and maintained the value of the property, was delivered by a properly backed company and was fully maintained and needing no ongoing input from UBT
3. Why did you choose our company over the competition?
The legals were clear and well explained, the backing seemed secure, the arrangement can be transferred to prospective owners and the ongoing electricity price was very competitive.
4. What would you tell others who might be considering our product?
I tell clients that we are saving almost £1m over 30 years for £0 outlay and this is going straight to the bottom line which increases what we are able to donate to charity
5. Would you recommend our solution to your peers?
I have already recommended the installation to some of our clients. The install was quick and clean with minimal disturbance to our everyday business.
6. Could you provide an understanding of the decision-making process which led you to opt for a fully funded scheme rather than purchase the system yourselves?
The attractiveness of a fully funded scheme was that there is no negative effect on cash flow, installation, maintenance and repair are all the responsibility of Zestec With the price of the electricity generated being linked to RPI we are unlikely to get large and sudden increases in power costs.