Solar panel ice-cream van’s a hit
Read Time:1 Minute, 22 Second
A Somerset ice cream maker has found the perfect recipe for success – sunshine and sustainability. David Baker, founder of Styles Ice Cream, made headlines in 2020 with the UK’s first solar-powered ice cream van. Now, he is scaling up his green ambitions by installing panels across his production dairy, aiming to power much of his business directly from the sun.
Sunshine power
This year’s record hours of sunshine have been ideal for Baker’s plans. So far, solar energy has supplied around 30% of the electricity needed to run his operation, but he believes he can push that figure closer to 80%. It’s a serious undertaking: his dairy, with its banks of freezers and continuous need for heating, stirring and chilling, consumes around 110 kilowatts of power throughout the day.
Cost cutting and carbon saving
The financial savings are as welcome as the environmental ones. With annual bills reaching £72,000, Baker estimates solar could cut that to just £10,000. The benefits extend to the customer too: solar-powered vans no longer idle with engines running, leaving seaside queues free of fumes and noise.
Solar central
The South West region ranks highest for solar energy adoption in the UK. Companies like https://redbridgeandsons.co.uk/solar-pv-panels/solar-panel-installation-weston are very busy meeting the growing demand for solar panel installation Weston, on the western side of the region, all the way to Worcester in the east.
For Baker, solar is both a business decision and a responsibility. “We’ve all got to play our part,” he explains. And in the West Country, that means enjoying ice cream, powered by the sun.
0
0
Average Rating