Solar installation at Legrand achieves CSR roadmap milestone

Legrand UK & Ireland has saved over a tonne of CO₂ in a single month with the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel array on the roof of its West Bromwich site, near Birmingham. The panels were installed and commissioned in October 2023 and, before the end of November, had saved 1,087kg of CO₂ emissions.

This emissions reduction represents a significant milestone on Legrand’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) roadmap with this installation’s annual CO₂ savings projected to be in the region of 29 tonnes.

The West Bromwich site serves as Legrand’s National Distribution Centre, housing a variety of Legrand products and components prior to shipping. The site is now home to 330 PV panels, each with the capacity to generate 500w as part of a 165kWP system.

Legrand’s latest CSR roadmap is the fifth the company has put into practice. The environmental part of the roadmap focuses on reducing the carbon emissions generated by Legrand and its supply chain, phasing out single-use plastics and increasing the use of recycled materials.

The PV installation is just one of many ways Legrand is cutting carbon. Others include procuring more sustainable components and materials for the products it manufactures and designing those products to be as energy efficient as possible in order to help lower the emissions of its customers.

Pascal Stutz, CEO of Legrand UK & Ireland, said: “We are really happy with the carbon saving the PV panels have delivered for us. We’re always looking at ways to reduce our impact on the planet and a big part of that involves switching to renewable energy. As a major UK manufacturer, we understand that we have a responsibility to the environment and that means doing everything we can to lower our carbon footprint while making it easier for our customers to reduce their own Scope 3 emissions.”

For the third year running, Legrand has been the recipient of the Platinum EcoVadis medal, meaning that its practices are in line with the most ambitious objective of the Paris Agreement – namely, limiting the global increase in temperatures to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and achieving carbon neutrality.

Pascal continued: “The health of the planet is something we take very seriously and we are dedicated to our environmental commitments. The solar power system at West Bromwich is a significant step forward and we’re looking forward to continuing our progress by making further carbon reductions in the coming months and years.”