Pioneering concrete roof tile manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles has continued to take steps to reduce its carbon footprint, with the installation of solar panels at its new £18.5m upgraded plant.
The investment, which is the manufacturer’s largest to date, began last year and will double the manufacturing output at the nine-acre site on Nicolson Way. Across the whole operation, Russell Roof Tiles has been actively seeking ways to reduce its environmental impact, including investing in more energy-efficient equipment, optimising production, and sourcing more sustainable materials.
As part of this, 165kW of solar panels and four Solis inverters have been installed to help power the new production facility. UK renewable services provider Alt-Group installed the system in a matter of days, enabling the manufacturer to reduce its carbon output.
This is the first time Russell Roof Tiles have installed solar panels on one of its factories and comes as the government’s reactivated “solar taskforce” names solar power as a driving force behind the UK’s 2030 clean power mission, a key step in meeting its 2050 Net Zero target. The manufacturer is currently on its own journey, pledging Net Zero Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2040.
Daniel Hancox, Corporate Sustainability & Development Director at Russell Roof Tiles comments: “When we say we’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint, we mean it. A big thanks to the Alt-Group team who did a great job getting the panels up and running, one of many steps we’ve taken to reduce our carbon emissions. We’re at a crucial stage in this investment journey currently and it’s exciting to see everything coming together.”
Alongside the solar panel installation, the new plant will also feature sustainable benefits such as a water reclamation and refiltering system, that allows for recycling of all wash water. This will reduce the firm’s use of fresh water, and significantly reduce waste.
The Nicolson Way investment will deliver more manufacturing lines within a new 1600 sq/m building using a 30-ton steel frame which houses a state-of-the-art curing chamber for its concrete tiles, which is a significant part of the new plant. Not only will the new facility produce a product that is of higher quality, strength, and consistency, but it will also speed up the drying process.
Russell Roof Tiles is a leading independent concrete roof tile manufacturer supplying products for top housebuilders and high-profile social housing and commercial projects. Concrete tiles, many of which feature an interlocking design, allow for fast and reliable installation. The company produces thousands of concrete roof tiles and accessories tiles every week used on roofs across the country, which offer durability with profiles and colours designed to replicate traditional clay, stone, and slate tiles.
