A year of solar: how clean energy has impacted our business

At Thompsons we proudly practice what we preach. To show that we believe in what we sell, we invested in a solar array at our Blackpool headquarters back in 2023.

Now that the installation has been up and running for well over a year, we wanted to share our data, showing a snapshot of generation, financial and the carbon benefits for 2024 from switching to clean energy.  

This is an honest, true reflection of our generation and savings, showing how solar has benefitted our business.

On-site usage 

Through online monitoring, we’re able to see exactly how our system is performing. When installed, the system was set up to monitor not just the solar generation but also the amount of power used on site and exported, providing us with a clear view of our requirements.  

The below figures are taken from our monitoring for the calendar year of 2024. 

Grid-sourced power 

Annual grid sourced power before solar: 130,604kWh 

Annual grid sourced power after solar: 86,808kWh

Solar generation 

Predicted output: 63,345kWh | Actual output: 69,265kWh 

Over generation: 5,920kWh | Exported to the grid: 25,469kWh 

Generated power utilised on site: 43,796kWh

Saving on electricity bill: 43,796kWh / £11,167.98

Revenue from export: 25,469kWh / £3,820.35

Annual saving/revenue: £14,988.33

Significant carbon savings 

In addition to the financial benefits of the system, we’re also directly reducing our carbon emissions.  

Tonnes of carbon saved through generation used on site: 43,796kWh x 0.20707kgCO2e** = 9068.84kg 

Equivalent trees planted: 9,068.84 x 0.00998 trees = 90 trees  

**Figures taken from Carbon Trust Conversion Factors document updated 2023. 

With an expected minimum lifespan of 20 years, the total CO2 saving is expected to be 181.38 tonnes, the equivalent of 1,777 trees planted – that’s a small forest!  

A clean, green future  

We are committed to operating as a responsible and sustainable business, while supporting our clients to do the same. It’s why we worked with the Blackpool Net Zero Academy to identify further ways in which carbon savings could be made within the company.

An assessment was conducted with several recommendations made, one of which was the installation of motion sensors on office lights. These sensors were installed in early 2025 with grant funding provided by the academy. Each year, this single improvement is set to save 1,739kWh of energy per annum.  

For more information about Thompsons’ sustainability journey, or to find out how we can support your business to reap the benefits from switching to clean energy, get in touch with our team of experts here.