Brothers Drinks is harnessing the energy of the sun to power its site at Shepton Mallet where it produces much loved brands Babycham, Compton Orchard Cider, Mallets Cider and Glastonbury-favourite, Brothers Cider.
A massive 317kW, 772-solar panel system is now installed at the cider mill, where it will directly supply the presses with clean energy. The system has been supplied by Bristol-based renewable energy specialist Solarsense, which has also provided solar panels at Worthy Farm itself. The new system – getting to work this summer – is expected to pay for itself in less than 3 years.
Brothers Drinks was set up by the Showering family, who have been making cider in the area since 1658. They first started selling their eponymous cider in 1995 at the Glastonbury Festival and after demands from festival-goers, they decided to market it to pubs and supermarkets too. Brothers Cider is now available across the country, in shops and restaurants and online.
The solar panels, which could be the first of several solar installations, are part of an ongoing commitment to sustainability by the Showering brothers. They have also taken steps to minimise water usage, pioneer new recycling methods – enabling even the backing from their labels to be recycled – and operate a zero to landfill policy. The company already offsets its carbon emissions and supports biodiversity thanks to 150 acres of orchard just 5 miles away from the cider mill.
“Our family have been making cider in this area for more than 360 years and our legacy drives us to put sustainability at the core of our business – we are doing everything we possibly can to improve our environmental performance,” Director Matthew Showering told us. “Installing solar panels has always been an important element of this and we are delighted to see it becoming a reality this summer. As well as reducing our impact on the environment, producing our own energy will help us to stay competitive and continue to make great-tasting cider.”
“The installation is a blueprint for how solar should be done,” says Stephen Barrett, Managing Director of Solarsense. “They have maximised their roof space and included features that will help to future-proof the system and make it easy to maintain. It’s clear that they are serious about sustainability and we are proud to be part of that story.”
Before installing the solar panels Brothers Drinks refurbished the roof to make sure it would last at least as long as the panels, which have an expected lifetime of 20 years plus. The system installed by Solarsense includes the latest SolarEdge technology which connects it to the fire alarm and means it will shut down automatically if the alarm sounds. The panels also include permanent edge protection which makes the system much easier to maintain.
The process of installation was captured by a time-lapse camera set up on site. The video is now available to view at https://brotherscider.co.uk/pages/solar-powered-cider
