Forster Group, Scotland’s leading provider of roofing and solar solutions, has completed a significant solar installation for Fife Creamery, one of its largest projects for the food and drink sector. The project, valued at £230,000, saw over 700 roof-mounted solar panels installed on Fife Creamery’s Innovation Hub and refrigeration warehouse in Kirkcaldy.
The new solar system is expected to help the family-owned business save over £3.1 million in energy costs over the next two decades. Initial results show energy bill savings of up to two-thirds since the system began operating in May 2024. With an instant energy output of 211-kilowatt peak (kWp) and an added 200kWp capacity available via battery storage, the system is designed to support Fife Creamery’s ambitious sustainability targets. It also offers the business the flexibility to store energy and potentially trade it with the grid, aligning with future demands for renewable energy optimisation.
David Simpson, Operations Director at Fife Creamery, explained the motivations behind the investment, noting the company’s commitment to sustainability and customer expectations around environmental responsibility. “With a target of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, we recognised the importance of investing in renewable energy solutions,” he said. “As a family-owned business, we’ve chosen to take a proactive role in reducing our environmental impact. For a business with significant refrigeration energy needs, installing one of the largest solar arrays we could manage was a priority to directly offset our energy consumption.”
The solar installation covers an area equivalent to five tennis courts, supporting Fife Creamery’s ongoing alignment with sustainability initiatives like the Courtauld Commitment 2030. To add to the system’s flexibility, an energy storage battery was installed at the Innovation Hub, which also serves as a training centre and commercial kitchen, allowing Fife Creamery to store excess energy and optimise its usage, potentially cutting CO₂ emissions by 104,000 kg in the first year alone.
David Anderson, Design Engineer at Forster Group, described the installation as a significant achievement. “This project stands as one of our largest installations to date and shows how impactful solar solutions can be for energy-intensive industries such as food manufacturing and refrigeration,” he said. “With more businesses moving away from conventional energy sources, solar energy can play a pivotal role in helping them transition to net-zero.”
Forster Group’s team completed the installation in just eight days, a timescale which Mr. Simpson praised, crediting the group for its customer service and technical guidance throughout the project. “From day one, Forster Group led our team through the process with exceptional expertise, allowing us to fully understand the system’s benefits,” he said. “Their work has not only improved our knowledge of renewable energy but has also helped us secure Fife Creamery’s sustainability for decades ahead.”
The installation marks a milestone for both Forster Group and Fife Creamery in their sustainability journeys, underscoring the growing role of solar energy in offsetting energy costs and reducing carbon emissions within high-demand industries.