Kingfisher plc to install energy storage batteries at B&Q’s Swindon distribution centre

Energy storage batteries will reduce B&Q distribution centre’s grid power consumption by 31%

WESTMINSTER, 01-Aug-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — Kingfisher plc, the international home improvement company, has unveiled plans to install energy storage batteries at B&Q’s Swindon distribution centre. The installation is the latest milestone in Kingfisher’s strategic roadmap for sustainable growth to 2025 and moves the company towards its goal of becoming a net positive business by 2050.

Solarcentury, Kingfisher’s renewable energy partner, will manage the installation with batteries supplied by Samsung. The system will complement an existing biomass boiler and chipper which will provide renewable heat for the site.

These installations form a key part of Kingfisher’s aim to reduce grid energy consumption across its UK property portfolio. They will help the company reduce its overall carbon emissions whilst controlling its cost base and delivering commercial returns. Kingfisher already purchases 100% of its UK electricity from renewable sources.

Reducing grid power consumption by almost a third

Kingfisher’s Swindon distribution centre uses 3.5MW of power per year on average and is already powered by solar energy from 552 rooftop solar panels. Currently, around 35% of the power generated by the solar panels at the site is exported back to the grid as surplus. The energy storage batteries will mean that this energy can be stored and released back to the building to provide power during periods of peak pricing. The timed release of energy can also support its overnight operations, when the solar panels are dormant. The batteries will reduce the site’s grid power consumption by 31%, with some days where zero grid energy will be used to power the site.

Christian Mazauric, CEO of B&Q UK & Ireland, said: “Ten years ago B&Q committed to cutting its absolute carbon footprint by 90% – we have to-date achieved 41% carbon reduction and cut our electricity demand by 47%. The installation of energy storage batteries at the Swindon distribution centre marks an important milestone in our and Kingfisher’s commitment to reduce grid energy consumption. UK energy prices aren’t going down. Battery energy storage will help us to better manage the energy we generate on site and will move us even closer to our sustainability goals.”

Powering electric car charging points for customers

The batteries will be supplied by Samsung and each rack is the size of a large domestic fridge-freezer. Each one has a capacity of 94.5KW, with the total planned capacity equating to 756KW. The batteries will be able to store 40% of the power generated by the solar roof panels. The system will also power electric car charging points in the car park. Solarcentury will project manage the installation, and its ongoing maintenance and monitoring systems. The project is expected to be completed in early September 2018.

The biomass boiler and chipper, supplied by Austrian company Fröling, provides 100% renewable heat for the site, heating the offices and meeting the building’s hot water needs. About 180 tonnes of waste wood will fuel the boiler each year, including a large volume of the site’s own wood waste. The biomass boiler will replace 600,000 kWh of gas consumption per year.

Jeremy Parsons, Head of Energy and Renewables, Kingfisher plc, said: “This investment at our Swindon distribution centre reflects our wider approach to energy strategy to help both our business and our customers improve energy efficiency. Indeed, many of the energy saving initiatives we have undertaken in our stores and distribution centres are also being considered by our customers. For example, we are seeing more customers installing solar PVs and moving to battery storage to harness that power for their homes”.

Contacts

Notes to editors

About Kingfisher

Kingfisher plc is an international home improvement company with nearly 1,300 stores in 10 countries across Europe, Russia and Turkey, supported by a team of 78,000 colleagues. We operate under four retail brands – B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt and Screwfix. We offer DIY and home improvement products and services to nearly six million customers who shop in our stores and through our digital channels every week. Our customers are everyone wanting to improve their home, as well as the experts and trade professionals who help them.We believe everyone should have a home they feel good about, so our purpose is to make home improvement accessible for everyone. www.kingfisher.com.

About B&Q

• B&Q is the UK’s leading home improvement and garden living retailer, offering great prices across over 40,000 products in 297 stores across the UK, Ireland and on diy.com.
• Their team of around 27,000 colleagues of all ages are respected nation-wide for providing great home improvement help to customers. They’re the beating heart of B&Q and their iconic orange aprons are worn with pride.
• B&Q’s national charity partner is Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity. Stores and colleagues nationwide are working to support the great cause with fundraising and donations of time and resource.
• Every year, more than 20 million people make their homes and outdoor living better with B&Q, and every year the company achieves ever-higher standards for sustainable sourcing: https://www.kingfisher.com/sustainability/files/downloads/KFSR18_final_PDF_version.pdf
• B&Q is part of Kingfisher plc, the international home improvement company which operates over 1,200 stores in 10 countries across Europe.

About Solarcentury

Solarcentury is one of the most respected solar companies in the world. Founded in 1998, we have been around since the early days of the solar industry and are part of the rapid evolution that has made PV the mainstream energy source that it is today. We are a fully integrated platform developing, structuring finance, building and operating solar projects at commercial and utility scale. We work with partners to bring solar to their customers’ homes. We’re committed to making solar more accessible and attractive, via our own BIPV (building integrated PV) products or our investment into storage and diesel hybrid. All our customers benefit from our experience in terms of engineering quality, financial stability and sheer breadth of deployment.

Solarcentury is in business for a purpose: to make a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change through the widespread adoption of solar power. We are a big believer in helping solar change our world for the better and contribute 5% of our net profits every year to the charity we founded, SolarAid, which aims to eradicate kerosene lamps from Africa by 2020.

Our business is global and growing, with offices in the UK, the Netherlands, Kenya, South Africa, Chile, Panama and Mexico; with representation in Germany, France and Spain. www.solarcentury.com

SOURCE: Kingfisher plc.