Imageco, the Leeds-based wide-format and signage specialist, has given its headquarters an environmental makeover, reducing its carbon output by more than 30,000 tonnes per year and making its building one of the most sustainable in the city.

The company teamed up with renewable energy company Planet-U Energy, also based in Leeds, to implement a range of sustainable solutions, including renewable energy procurement, Solar PV and voltage optimiser (VO) installations.

The partnership came about when Imageco founder Nathan Swinson-Bullough approached Planet-U Energy for help saving money on the firm’s electricity contract and installing renewable technology to further reduce the business’s carbon footprint.

Following a full site energy audit, Planet-U’s engineers then installed 84 tier one photovoltaic solar panels to the site’s roof space, which will generate an estimated £6000 of renewable energy annually. They also fitted a voltage optimiser, a technology that lowers excess voltage by regulating the incoming power supply, which provides a further £9000 in annual savings. In total, the solutions are expected to generate savings of up to £225,000 over the next five years.

‘At Imageco, we understand the importance of sustainability so partnering with Planet-U made perfect sense,’ explained Mr Swinson-Bullough. ‘The technology of voltage optimisation and solar power will see us reduce our CO2 output to make us one of the most sustainable print companies in the industry.

‘Not only is this benefiting the environment, but it is a great USP and a powerful marketing tool for us. Grant and the team are extremely proactive and understand our needs. I would recommend them to any sector that has sustainable energy goals.’

Grant Nicholson, CEO of Planet-U Energy, added, ‘Print and media is a huge industry in the UK, the fourth biggest in fact. With an industry of this size, outputs can be large and with this comes a big carbon output as well. Imageco was keen very early on to reduce its footprint and called on Planet-U to conduct an in-depth site audit which helped us identify the best ways to determine the annual carbon emissions of the site’s operations.

‘The transition to Solar PV and Voltage Optimisation will prove a great move for Imageco in the long term, as it will help reduce the firm’s carbon footprint and move the business forward in line with the government’s new world-leading climate change targets, which pledge to slash emissions by 78% by 2035.’