The PV panels, totalling 2,000 modules, will produce 445,000kWh of on-site energy a year for the next 25 years at Aviva’s offices in Norwich and Bristol in England, and Perth in Scotland. Designed and installed by Solarcentury, the solar systems will be directly used to power lighting and office equipment within the buildings.

All of the installations qualify for feed-in tariff subsidies, having been registered before the 15 January reduction in tariff rates.

Lee Preston, group carbon and utilities manager at Aviva Insurance, said: “We’re committed to understanding the organisational environmental impact and are now working hard to reduce it, through a range of initiatives that will help us to reduce our carbon emissions by 40% by 2050.

“We hope that, by 2025, all electricity we use will be from 100% renewable sources. We already reduce our carbon emissions through energy efficiency measures such as LED lighting; we’re now taking this one stage further by investing in solar. We needed a solar partner who could overcome the technical challenges presented by our complex roof structures.”

Perfect match

Aviva’s energy reductions will be helped by the real-time performance of data remote monitoring, which will enable the Aviva energy team to understand the benefits of solar installations. Solarcentury will conduct operations and maintenance for the next 10 years and provide a unique yield guarantee as an assurance that the systems generate as expected.

Solarcentury’s Neil Perry said: “Making use of unused roof spaces by installing solar is such a simple and cost effective way to help businesses save money and do their bit for the environment.

“Installing systems for Aviva across its Scottish and English sites demonstrates the opportunity for solar, even at these latitudes, and the energy demand perfectly matches the energy profile for these buildings. Installing solar also demonstrates to employees and customers that the company is genuinely committed to reducing its environmental impact.”

Green insurance

The solar installations represent a renewed approach from Aviva to bring environmental issues into the mainstream of its strategy and support the transition to a low-carbon economy. The first global insurance group to go carbon neutral, Aviva has reduced its CO2 emissions by 39% since 2010 and is now aiming to reduce it by 50% by 2030.

Last summer, Aviva announced a five-year target to invest £2.5bn in renewable energy and energy efficiency in a bid to make save significant carbon savings. Back in December 2015, the insurance giant formed part of a new £352bn coalition of investors including major public and private funds in the UK, Norway and France aiming to put pressure on some of the world’s biggest corporations to clean up their electricity sources.

In the same month, Aviva Investors announced a new £15.4m commitment to create a new energy efficiency programme and centre at NHS Tayside in Dundee which will provide 90% of the power and 100% of the heat in the hospital.


On-site solutions at edie Live 2016

From energy management systems to rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling, recovering waste heat to energy generation, the on-site technology solutions available are vast. However, deciding where to start and selecting the right focus for your business can be an involved and confusing process.

The on-site solutions theatre at edie Live 2016 in May will examine the options open to sustainability, energy and facilities managers responsible for energy and water on their sites.

Delegates will benefit from expert case studies drawn from across business sectors. From the UK’s largest onsite solar installations, to small-scale, single site solutions, hear from those sustainability professionals that have already done the work and are making it happen for their business.

Find out more and register to attend edie Live for FREE here.


George Ogleby

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