Marston’s has partnered with renewable energy specialist Two Blues Solar and installer Nuvolt to deploy solar across 120 of its pubs over the next 12 months.
The £5.4m investment, fully financed by Atrato Onsite Energy, operates through a power purchase agreement, a long-term contract in which Marston’s purchases 100% of the renewable energy generated on its roofs rather than owning the solar equipment.
This arrangement guarantees certainty of energy prices for 25 years, protecting Marston’s from market volatility while delivering immediate cost savings for the group.
The project contributes to Marston’s sustainability strategy and 2040 net zero targets, with each installation expected to generate approximately 30,000 kWh of electricity annually, meeting some 15 to 20% of each pub’s energy demand.
The roll-out will reduce Marston’s carbon emissions by 600 tonnes in the first year, equivalent to removing 430 cars from the road.
Andy Kershaw, director of investment at Marston’s, said: “Through this partnership, we can now significantly accelerate the roll-out of solar across our community-based pub estate without diverting capital from our core operations, helping our pubs make the transition to renewable energy while reducing our total emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.”
