83.2kWp solar PV installation | Ewelme, Oxfordshire
For a business built around finding better ways to manage resources, reducing the environmental impact of its own operations is a natural part of the journey.
That is the approach we share with Grundon Waste Management, one of the UK’s longest-established family-owned waste management and environmental services businesses. With more than 850 employees and operations across regional depots and facilities, Grundon has spent decades looking at how it can make a positive difference, both through the services it provides and the way it operates. Our work together is helping to bring that thinking to life through a growing programme of renewable energy projects across Grundon’s sites. One of those projects is an 83.2kWp solar PV installation at its Ewelme site in Oxfordshire.
Like many energy-intensive businesses, Grundon was looking at more than one reason to consider solar. Rising energy costs, wider sustainability targets and the desire to make better use of the buildings it already operates all played a part in the decision. Solar offered an opportunity to address these priorities at the same time, generating electricity on-site and reducing reliance on electricity from the grid.
For us, the important part was understanding the site and its energy use before designing the right solution. The result is a system designed specifically around the building and its operational requirements, with all of the electricity generated being used on-site rather than exported to the grid.
A solar system designed around the site
Completed in July 2026, the Ewelme installation comprises 128 LONGi LR7-72HVD solar panels, providing a total system capacity of 83.20kWp. The system uses a SolarEdge SE66.6K inverter, alongside SolarEdge S1200 power optimisers and a K2 Systems mounting solution, installed on the site’s trapezoidal metal roof. This combination gives Grundon a modern solar PV system with monitoring in place, supported by ongoing operation and maintenance by our in-house contracting team. The aim was to create a system that works effectively alongside the building’s existing energy demand, allowing as much of the electricity generated as possible to be consumed where it is produced.
67.23MWh of renewable electricity every year
The completed system is expected to generate 67.23MWh of electricity each year. That is enough to account for approximately 12% of the building’s annual energy demand, helping to reduce the amount of electricity that needs to be supplied from the grid. Because the solar generation is being used for self-consumption, the renewable electricity produced by the system goes directly towards supporting the site’s day-to-day energy requirements. Over a projected 30 year period, that equates to approximately 2,017MWh of renewable electricity generation. For a business with a clear focus on sustainability, these numbers provide a strong contribution that can be built into the site’s long-term energy strategy and financial forecasting.
A measurable reduction in carbon emissions
The environmental impact is equally significant for Grundon Waste Management. The system is expected to avoid approximately 13 tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year. Over 30 years, that represents an estimated 390 tonnes of CO₂ avoided.
Building something bigger together
The Ewelme project is one of a number of Grundon sites we are supporting with solar PV. Commercial solar works best when it is considered as part of a wider energy strategy rather than as an isolated project. Each site has its own building, energy profile, operational requirements and opportunities, so the right approach needs to be considered on an individual basis. Our relationship with Grundon has developed through a shared focus on quality, trust and finding innovative ways to support their sustainability ambitions. Those principles were important throughout the tender and evaluation process and continue to shape the projects we are working on together.
We are currently leading the feasibility work for a ground-mounted solar project at another Grundon site, exploring how renewable generation can play an even greater role across its wider estate and partnering with like-minded businesses is a genuine pleasure for all the team at Harvest Green Developments.
Looking beyond the panels
For us, this project is about more than the 128 panels on this particular site; it is about helping a business with a long-standing commitment to environmental responsibility take another step towards its future energy goals. Solar PV gives commercial businesses the opportunity to turn existing roof space and land into productive energy assets, while reducing their reliance on grid electricity and lowering operational carbon emissions. The Ewelme installation shows what that can look like in practice: 83.2kWp of solar capacity, 67.23MWh of renewable electricity generation each year and an estimated 13 tonnes of CO₂ avoided annually.
As we continue supporting Grundon across more of its sites, we are looking forward to we are looking forward to seeing how those individual projects add up to an even greater impact across their nationwide operations.
Could solar work across your commercial sites?
If your business is looking to reduce energy costs, generate more of its own electricity or make measurable progress towards its sustainability targets, solar PV could be part of the answer. At Harvest Green Developments, we work with businesses to understand their buildings, energy use and long-term objectives before designing a solution around them that will be optimised bespoke for your requirements.
Talk to our team about the savings renewable energy could help you make for your business.
