Refresco selected GB NRG to install rooftop solar arrays across several of its manufacturing sites in the UK.
November 9, 2026
Solar installer GB NRG will deliver a 21.5MWp solar programme for beverage packaging provider Refresco.
Refresco selected GB NRG to install rooftop solar PV arrays across several of its manufacturing sites in the UK. The largest single-rooftop installation will be an 8.5MWp array at Refresco’s Bridgwater facility. Once operational, it will supply 17% of that site’s annual electricity demand, around 7.5GWh.
The companies did not disclose where the other three installations will be. Refresco has seven UK manufacturing facilities in total.
GB NRG took the portfolio to market on Refresco’s behalf, selecting Zestec Renewable Energy to fund and manage the solar infrastructure once installation is complete.
Zestec, which is backed by Octopus Energy Generation-managed funds, funds projects through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). Operating under that model, it has also partnered with Mitie and the Co-op in recent years.
Related:Report shows commercial rooftop solar could deliver 60GW of UK generation
Jon Antoniou, founder and CEO of GB NRG, said: “Our role has gone beyond designing and installing the systems. We took the portfolio to the funding market on Refresco's behalf and selected Zestec through a competitive process, bringing together the technical, commercial and funding solution required to deliver solar at this scale.”
A report commissioned by Real Estate:UK in partnership with Forsters and Push Power Ltd in September found that over 90% of suitable commercial rooftop space in the UK is currently unused for solar generation, representing potential capacity of up to 60GW.
Although that rooftop space is usable, the installation process can become complicated, as flagged by GB NRG for this project. It said that delivery of a project at a live 24/7 manufacturing facility presents “significant engineering and operational challenges”.
The companies also noted that the 8.5MWp installation will be the largest on a single rooftop in the UK. The total portfolio comes in below the largest commercial rooftop solar installation in the UK, a 25MW project at the Port of Liverpool, which will be installed across “many” warehouse buildings at the site.
Refresco said its flagship solar project “demonstrates the potential for major manufacturers and other large energy users to turn previously unused roof space into a significant source of onsite energy generation”.
Read more about:
Molly Green
Section Editor, Informa
Molly joined the team in 2024 and has led coverage on the UK sites. Now shifting to a more global view, Molly is interested in how legislation shapes market dynamics, covering the intersection of policy design, investment patterns, and energy transition pathways.
Google Preferred Source
Google Preferred Source
Copyright © 2026 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

source