A bright outlook for Pets at Home’s sustainability goals

Overview of the challenge

Pets at Home, the UK’s leading petcare brand, were aiming to enhance the sustainability of their operations as part of their ambitious environmental goals. With a target to reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 42% by 2030 (against a 2020 baseline) and to achieve net zero by 2040, the company turned its attention to their new National Distribution Centre in Staffordshire.

Responsible for supplying products to over 450 petcare centres nationwide, the centre needed an energy-efficient solution to complement its environmentally focused design, while supporting Pets at Home in cutting its carbon footprint. The challenge was to integrate a renewable energy source capable of significantly reducing emissions, contributing to their sustainability targets, and creating a reliable power supply to support critical operations.

Our approach

Custom Solar, part of Mitie, undertook the £1 million contract to deliver a tailored renewable energy solution, overseeing the project from technical design to installation.

The solution involved installing a 1.25MWp rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) array on the roof of Pets at Home’s new National Distribution Centre. To guarantee energy reliability, Custom Solar also supervised the necessary grid connections. The process was meticulously managed to ensure seamless installation and alignment with Pets at Home’s sustainability objectives. The project is a fantastic example of how solar technology can integrate seamlessly with environmentally focused infrastructure.

“We’re thrilled to have partnered with Mitie on this step towards achieving our sustainability goals. This installation will make an important contribution to the reduction of our operational emissions and we’re looking forward to continuing to work together to create innovative solutions, to help us create a better world for pets and the people who love them.”

The results

The solar PV array now generates renewable energy for the National Distribution Centre, drastically reducing Pets at Home’s carbon emissions by over 221 tonnes annually. This is equivalent to the energy use of 80 homes per year or the emissions from 210 one-way flights between London and New York. Subsequently, the landmark building for Pets at Home received an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating for its environmentally focused design.

The significant reduction in emissions supports Pets at Home’s journey towards achieving its sustainability goals, allowing measurable progress toward both their 2030 emissions target and their 2040 net-zero ambition.

Why choose Mitie?

Custom Solar enables Mitie to deliver integrated solar power solutions in the public and private sectors. We make renewable energy accessible for our clients.