The beauty of solar power is...

• All kinds of businesses, large and small, can make the transition to renewable energy
• Financing schemes, such as EEF, can help with sustainability projects like this solar installation 

The British luxury hair and beauty business, Jo and Cass, has four salons. Due to rising energy costs, the SME recognised the need to switch to a more cost-effective renewable source. Solar energy was the most likely choice.

Consulting Solarlec, a specialist in photovoltaics and solar energy, an installation of 40 monocrystalline solar panels on the roof of the largest salon in Preston was seen as the best way to evaluate the economic benefits before considering a rollout to the other stores.

Key benefits

Solarlec is one of many suppliers of the EEF financing scheme, thus allowing Jo and Cass to fund this sustainability measure with a seven-year plan costing around € 16 908 (£ 15 000).

Over a 25-year period, including the savings through Feed-in-Tariffs (FiTs), the total savings were estimated to be up to € 82 284 (£ 73 000), € 39 451 (£ 35 000) in electricity costs alone.