CleanEarth have recently completed four solar PV installations within a single square mile on the Isle of Portland.
This part of the Dorset coast is among the sunniest regions in the UK. Now four very different businesses are converting that sunshine into clean, affordable electricity.
The largest installation is the 127 kW system for Eurotubes. Their precision engineering business has been running from premises in Portland for 35 years. As they’ve grown, so have their energy bills, so the 120,000 kWh that the system generates annually will make a real difference to their bottom line.
Right next door, dinghy equipment specialists Shock Sailing went for an 18 kW system after learning about their neighbour’s installation.
A short walk away in the commercial port is another long-term Portland resident, Portland Shellfish. A third-generation family-owned shellfish merchant, they moved in soon after the Navy moved out in the 1990s.
As suppliers of live and cooked shellfish – all sustainably fished from British waters – Portland Shellfish has a sizeable energy demand to run its chilling and heating equipment. Since being commissioned in May 2023, the 92 kW system has supplied nearly 40% of their electricity.
Ben Assirati, director of Portland Shellfish, described himself as “absolutely thrilled with the results.” He praised CleanEarth’s “great can-do attitude,” and together we are now looking to add battery storage to the mix, further reducing their reliance on the national grid.
Our final project (so far) was for Portland Port who run dockside commercial operations in the harbour. Their 55 kW system is a major step towards their environmental and sustainability goals, as it will save over 10 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
Between them these four businesses are leading the way in adopting renewable energy, reducing emissions and capitalising on the sun-rich resources of the Isle of Portland.