Forthglade Foods

Forthglade, the Devon-based premium pet food producer, wanted to reduce its environmental impact and embed renewable energy at the heart of its operations as part of its journey towards B Corp certification
Solar panels on commercial roof at sunrise

Fully funded rooftop solar powering a premium pet food producer’s journey to B Corp

AMPYR Distributed Energy’s delivery partner, Eden Sustainable, designed and delivered an 875 kWp rooftop solar installation at Forthglade’s manufacturing facility, fully funded at no cost to the business. The system is estimated to save over £2.7 million in energy bills over 25 years while cutting carbon emissions by 180 tonnes annually.

  • 875 kWp

    commercial rooftop solar

  • £115 k

    estimated annual cost savings

  • 180 Tonnes

    estimated annual carbon savings

About Forthglade Foods

Forthglade is a premium producer of natural dog food, based in the heart of Devon on the edge of Dartmoor. For more than fifty years, the business has built its reputation on doing the very best for pets, with a dynamic and proactive ethos that has enabled it to evolve and thrive.

That same ethos extends to the environment. Forthglade is committed to reducing its impact on the planet, and renewable energy forms a central part of its sustainability strategy as the business progresses on its journey to B Corp certification.

The challenge

As an energy-intensive food manufacturer, Forthglade faced the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint and exposure to volatile energy prices without diverting capital away from its core business or disrupting production.

With a large factory roof space well suited to solar generation, on-site solar made clear commercial and environmental sense. What Forthglade needed was the right partner: one aligned with its values, able to deliver to the highest standards, and capable of removing the financial and technical complexity of bringing a project of this scale to life.

AMPYR Distributed Energy’s solution

AMPYR Distributed Energy’s delivery partner, Eden Sustainable, designed and delivered an 875 kWp rooftop solar photovoltaic installation at Forthglade’s manufacturing facility.

The project was fully funded, at no cost to Forthglade, removing the need for upfront capital investment while providing access to low-cost, low-carbon electricity generated on site. The system was engineered to maximise on-site consumption and long-term performance, making the most of the facility’s extensive roof space and matching generation to the site’s operational demand profile.

Implementation and delivery

The installation was delivered with full turnkey support, from feasibility and system design through to installation, grid connection and commissioning.

Throughout the project, Eden Sustainable worked closely with Forthglade’s leadership and operations teams to ensure delivery was efficient and seamless, with no disruption to the site’s food production operations. The collaborative approach, challenging assumptions and refining the solution at every stage, was credited by Forthglade’s leadership as central to achieving the best possible outcome for the business.

Results and impact

The 875 kWp system delivers significant on-site renewable generation, reducing Forthglade’s carbon emissions by 180 tonnes annually and generating estimated energy cost savings of £115,000 each year. That figure accumulates over £2.7 million across the 25-year life of the agreement.

Forthglade03

By generating low-carbon electricity directly on site, the installation reduces Forthglade’s reliance on grid electricity, strengthens resilience against energy price volatility and provides long-term cost certainty – all achieved without any capital outlay from the business.

Birdseye view of solar panels on a commercial roof
"The whole process was pretty efficient and seamless. We really enjoyed working with you. I thought you did a great job at every stage, pushing and challenging us. I'm really grateful that you did because we wouldn't be in the position that we are now unless you'd have done that." - David Cox, CEO, Forthglade
"Given the fact that we've got a factory with a large roof space solar just made a whole lot of sense to us. We were looking at the right company to partner with and Eden made it really easy to enter that journey. So it's been a really good experience installing the solar on the roof." - Mike Jolley, operations Director, Frothglade

    The value to the customer

    Beyond the immediate carbon and cost benefits, the project provides tangible evidence of Forthglade’s environmental commitment as it works towards B Corp certification, strengthening its sustainability credentials with customers, retailers and the wider pet food market.

    The fully funded model means these benefits have been secured without capital investment, allowing Forthglade to keep its resources focused on what it does best: producing premium, natural food for pets.

    Looking ahead

    AMPYR Distributed Energy and Forthglade continue to explore opportunities to build on the success of the project, including the potential for battery storage and optimisation technologies to further enhance on-site consumption, resilience and long-term energy performance.

    Forthglade01

    About AMPYR Distributed Energy

    AMPYR Distributed Energy funds, owns and operates on-site renewable and flexible energy solutions that help organisations cut carbon, reduce costs and build more resilient operations. Through solar, storage, optimisation and multi-technology systems, ADE empowers customers to take control of their energy future.