Liverpool city region brand marketing manufacturer Wild Thang installs 290 solar panels on its roof to provide around 80% of its energy needs. Tony McDonough reports
Brand marketing specialist Wild Thang has taken a huge leap forward in its drive to become a net zero business with the installation of 290 solar panels.
They have been placed on the roof of the firm’s Bootle factory, which has recently been upgraded at a cost of £2m. The panels, each one able to generate 430 watts of electricity, will produce enough excess power to allow 70% to be exported to the national grid.
Wild Thang will use the remaining 30% to power its factory where more than 50 people are employed. The panels will provide 80% of the firm’s energy needs.
Founder and managing Director Andrew Dwerryhouse said: “This is a tangible demonstration of dedication, symbolising our efforts to embrace cleaner energy sources and become a net zero carbon business by 2030.”
In July LBN revealed the business is investing £250,000 in new machinery for its Bootle plant as it increases capacity to meet growing demand from both UK and overseas customers.
Wild Thang’s award-winning team produces a huge range of branded goods including t-shirts, pens, baseball caps, mugs, coasters, bags and banners of all sizes.
Clients include Vimto, SkyBet, McDonald’s, Princes Foods, LJMU and Paddy Power. The firm also does work for a number of Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Everton.
Over the lifetime of the solar panel system, it is estimated Wild Thang will avoid equivalent emissions of 604.491 KM driven by car, 433 long-haul flights, 3,886 trees planted per year and saving 21 tons of CO2.
Andrew added: “At the start of 2023, we unveiled our long term eight-point sustainability pledge which would provide us with targets to hit over the coming years to make Wild Thang a genuinely committed sustainable business.
“As sunlight streams onto our panels, we’re generating clean renewable energy that powers our operations. This not only propels our productivity but also propels us forward on our sustainability journey.
“By relying on the sun’s energy, we’re reducing our dependence on traditional energy sources and contributing to an eco-friendlier world.”
Wild Thang secured funding from NatWest for the solar project. It secured the services of TB Electrics to plan and install the system.
Terry Owen from TB Electrics added: “It was great to partner with such a forward thinking company such as Wild Thang who are obviously committed to creating a more sustainable future for both the company and the wider community.
“We are doubly pleased that they are happy with the solar install of the 290 panels and service we have provided from initial tendering to completed delivery of the project, which was delivered on time and budget.”
Wild Thang operations manager, Chris Dwerryhouse, led on the delivery of the project. He said the process they went through was “meticulous”.
He explained: “We expertly planned, procured and installed the solar project over a three-week period with very little disruption to our day-to-day business activities.
“Terry Owen and TB Electric were a fantastic partner from start to finish including planning for each panel to be strategically positioned to harness maximum sunlight and connected with precision to ensure optimum efficiency.
“This process wasn’t just about installing panels, it was about transforming our physical space into a hub of renewable energy, which we now believe is one of the biggest in the local area.
“We have captured it with some fantastic drone footage and will hopefully inspire other companies to do the same. It also really shows Wild Thang’s genuine long term commitment to becoming net zero by 2030.”
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Wild Thang is also offering multiple ‘eco-friendly’ items its newly-released range of Christmas merchandise.
Its range, which is being offered to its corporate clients, includes Christmas jumpers and hats, chocolate-filled advent calandars, wooden stars, gifts set that inlcude cordless chargers and ‘selfie lights’, mugs, mini speakers, candle holders, Christmas stockings, stress balls, sweatshirts and tote bags.
Andrew added: “This eco-range ensures you can celebrate the season with products that are not only top-notch but also gentle on the environment. In a world where sustainability matters more than ever, we’re here to make your Christmas greener than the Grinch.”