Having been in business for almost half a century, it’s safe to say that MC Group has some experience adapting to changing business environments.
As one of the UK’s leading suppliers of commercial vehicles, the team at MC Group had long been considering installing solar panels. Firstly, to serve their high energy needs, which were set to jump as they began to import commercial EV trucks and buses. And secondly, to simply “do the right thing,” as Group Financial Director Peter Booth puts it.
When energy prices skyrocketed in 2022, it was the final push they needed to pull the trigger on solar.
The solution Solarsense proposed was a 189kW system at Hythe paired with a grid-limitation device. For Southampton, Solarsense proposed over-cladding the original asbestos roof followed by the installation of a 280kW solar system.
Project snapshot
Industry: Commercial vehicles
Channel Partner: Solarsense
Equipment:
Southampton project – 701x Q-Cell Modules & 3x Solis Inverters
Hythe project – 471x Q-Cell Modules 2x Solis Inverters
Payment Plan term: 5 years
Funding the project
While MC Group had the capital available to pay for the project upfront, they preferred the option of commercial financing through a Smart Ease Payment Plan. “Because it was a long-term investment, it made more sense to match the savings with the cost of it,” explained Peter, “and free up that cash for other things.
“From a cost-benefit perspective, the payback is somewhere around 5 years while the [panels] have got something like a 20-year life. It’s a bit of a no-brainer really.”
Smart Ease was recommended to MC Group by Tim, who had been looking for a new finance provider to help Solarsense customers tackle funding concerns. After meeting Gaige and comparing rates, Tim was quickly convinced to give Smart Ease a try.
“Gaige was very enthusiastic and charismatic and felt that nothing was too much trouble. Historically, I’ve always felt that I’m giving a lead to a finance company and it’s kind of almost just expected. [But with Smart Ease] it feels like there’s a lot more involvement and engagement to support us in what we’re trying to do.”
– Tim Cook, Solarsense
The Win
According to Peter, the benefits of installing solar were immediate and manifold. He estimates that across both sites, almost 40% of their energy is being generated through solar and that they use roughly 75% of what they are generating. The drop in their energy bills has been drastic, to say the least.
With EV trucks and buses now a growing part of MC Groups’ business, their energy demands have only gone up in the past year. But now with the ability to generate a large portion of their own energy onsite, it’s no longer a major concern.
“We know the cost of 40% of our electricity for the next 20 years. It takes quite a weight off your mind.”
– Peter Booth, Group Financial Director, MC Trucks.
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