Garden and turf-care equipment supplier, Devon Garden Machinery, has invested more than £85,000 in a new solar power system on the roof of its new premises, with help from Ignition.

The Torquay-based family business has been celebrating its 40^th birthday this week.  It is a distributor for top brands such as Toro, Iseki, Honda and Husqvara, and is well-established as one of the largest robotic mower centres in the South West, serving commercial and private customers across the region.  It recently moved into a brand-new building adjacent to its previous site in Kerswell Gardens, as part of a new development featuring an Aldi store and a Costa Coffee shop.

According to owners, Steve and Charlotte Dommett, the move to the new building provided a perfect opportunity to invest in solar energy, helping to reduce the company’s carbon emissions, whilst saving on energy costs. Financed by Ignition and installed by Sun Energy, the investment includes 190 solar panels as part of a 75 kW system that will save around 13.2 tonnes of C02 per year.

Ignition provides support to SMEs by financing a wide range of assets from vehicles and machinery to business equipment and renewable energy.  This can include solar panels, wind turbines, biomass and heating systems and LED lighting. It was able to assist Devon Garden Machinery with a hire purchase agreement, spreading the cost of the solar power system and its installation into manageable monthly repayments.

Charlotte Dommett comments:

“We’re delighted to be up and running in our spacious new premises!  It has been designed to suit our needs as a growing business, with a dedicated showroom, training rooms, and much better access for moving the machines in and out. 

“We were also keen to consider the environment within the building design, so have introduced a rainwater harvesting system and a recycling wash system for the wash area, as well as installing the solar power system which will significantly reduce our carbon output. We’re grateful to the team at Ignition for providing swift access to finance for the solar project and for supporting us throughout the move.”

Eleanor Smith, Ignition’s business development manager and solar specialist comments:

“It’s been fantastic to see this regional family business flourish and to assist them with this important milestone!  The new site looks amazing and has been carefully designed so that it’s perfect for Devon Garden Machinery as it expands, as well as meeting its ambitious sustainability goals.”

Car body repair shop, Fix Auto Penzance, is doubling its solar power capacity with help from Ignition.  A new bank of 30kW panels has been installed on the paintshop roof, helping the company to keep energy costs down whilst continuing its ongoing commitment to operate in an environmentally responsible way.

Established in 1988, Fix Auto Penzance is a carbon neutral organisation, which has integrated environmental conservation into its operations for many years.  This includes the use of environmental paints and re-used parts, along with large-scale materials recycling across the Fix Auto UK network.  Its first solar panels were installed 12 years ago, providing an initial 30kW of power, but since then the business has grown and its energy use has increased.

Ignition provides support to SMEs by financing a wide range of assets from vehicles and machinery to business equipment and renewable energy.  This can include solar panels, wind turbines, biomass and heating systems and LED lighting.  It was able to assist Fix Auto Penzance with the purchase and installation of an additional 30kW solar energy system by Sun Energy, bringing the company’s total capacity to 60kW. The terms of the hire purchase agreement mean that costs are spread into manageable monthly repayments.

Managing Director of Fix Auto Penzance, Stuart Cameron, comments:

“In the 12 years since we first purchased solar panels, our workshop space has doubled in size and we have installed additional features such as a high-tech, robotic three-bay drying booth, a wheel refurbishment operation, and an electric vehicle charging bay – all resulting in an increase in our energy use.

“Our previous solar investment was a sound financial decision, particularly since we continue to benefit from a ‘feed-in tariff’ where we receive annual payments for energy sold back to the grid. Expanding our solar power capacity at this stage makes absolute sense, both from a financial point of view, and to further strengthen our environmentally friendly  credentials.”

Eleanor Smith, Ignition’s business development manager and solar specialist, comments:

 “Stuart and his team at Fix Auto Penzance have put environmental conservation at the heart of their business for many years, winning several awards for their efforts and forging an excellent reputation amongst their customers. We were delighted to assist with the expansion of their solar power provision, which aligns with their company ethos and will provide long-term cost savings.”

If you would like to discuss how Ignition can help your business, then give us a call today..