Haigh Engineering are delighted to announce a major step in further improving sustainable manufacturing from their factory in Ross-on-Wye. The significant investment in the solar array produces up to 50% of the site’s electricity requirements over the summer and is estimated to provide at least a quarter of current total energy produced over a full typical year. This is the first of a number of such investments on the site which aim to reduce the company’s usage of energy from the grid, improve overall sustainability and help Haigh’s customers on their various net zero journeys.
Feedback from NHS procurement has been enthusiastic, particularly given their particularly ambitious and measured drive to net zero that underpins a considerable amount of decision making.
The project was delivered in a hassle free turnkey fashion by Harvest Green Ltd., the team at Haigh were pleased to see the project delivered on time and to budget particularly given the pressures in the market around increasing energy prices and the impact that this has had on availability of parts in the supply chain. With plenty more roof-space on the site and the positive impact of this initial stage there is a logical route for additional development and the further benefits that will bring to both the business and the environment.
Jacob Shepherd, Haigh’s Managing Director notes “The Harvest Green team have delivered a great installation for us, they were clear and straightforward to work with from initial proposal right through to commissioning the system.”
Haigh’s customers are increasingly requiring transparency in their supply chains as to the lifetime carbon impact of any capital equipment. The design team have historically focused on ensuring that the operating energy usage of all products that the company produce is minimised, leading to a range of macerator products with the lowest operating carbon footprint in their category. This additional focus on the embodied carbon of products is not a new concept however the latest carbon accounting methodologies that are being employed in the industry allow the benefits of renewable energy to be properly reflected in the manufacturing process, alongside overall production and material design efficiencies that have historically been the focus.
There is a hope that the current energy prices will in due course reduce, however the company’s investment in becoming more self sufficient also bring long term stability from a cost perspective, a sign of Haigh’s ongoing long term commitment to UK manufacture and supporting employment in the local area.