A 1MW renewable energy system from Olympus Power is now supplying 20% of Merry Hill’s power
Merry Hill, the flagship super regional destination for the West Midlands, is dedicated to carbon reduction to create a sustainable site for customers and its 200 plus retail and leisure tenants.
A range of top names at the centre with their own strong ESG focus such as Lush, Body Shop and M&S are now benefiting from the destination’s drive towards clean, green power.
The 2,399-panel, 1 MW array at the retail destination was designed and installed by Olympus Power and will be managed by the team throughout its lifespan.
Simon Nicholls, CEO Olympus Power “Shared renewable power on commercial, leased properties have in the past been seen as difficult. Not because of the technology or power systems, but because of complex contractual agreements. We have worked closely with the Merry Hill management team and have a large range of flexible funding mechanisms and PPA contracts to deliver renewable energy with benefits for all.”
The solar array was funded and installed via a long-term Power Purchase Agreement – one of the first in the UK at this size for a multiple lease site. Merry Hill and partners Olympus Power, along with EV charging providers have together invested £4.5m into ESG commitments.
Nick Round, Senior Asset Manager at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, said: “The work with Olympus Power represents a big step forward in creating a sustainable future for Merry Hill. We want to inspire our tenants and customers to adopt more sustainable practices, and the best way to do that is through investment in a programme like this, that benefits everyone involved. We are pushing for our destinations to be at the forefront of change, not following the crowd, and through our sustainability initiatives we are doing just that.”
As such there are proposed plans for a Phase 2 installation at Merry Hill, and further projects for Olympus Power with sites asset managed by Sovereign Centros from CRBE including Gatehead’s Metrocentre.