Tuesday 23rd May 2023
Our Energy
Here at Yeo Valley we strive to put nature first in all that we do. For the past 20+ years we’ve been making sure that we only use renewable electricity where possible. We have done this knowing that other energy available to us was cheaper but that it was a price that we were prepared to pay because it’s better for you, for wildlife and for the world.
We’d prefer to generate all our own energy and it’s our ambition to be 50% energy self-sufficient in the next 10 years. That’s why we have installed over one acre of solar panels on the roof at the Holt Farm dairy at Blagdon, and worked with our partners at Coombe Farm at Crewkerne, to install 5mw of solar panels, and why over the next 10 years we will be spending a further £10 million in harnessing even more of the sun’s energy across all our buildings to power all our sites.
To supplement the energy we generate, we also buy electricity from energy suppliers to keep our dairies running to make our delicious products. When we buy it, we have made a conscious decision to always buy it from 100% renewable suppliers.
Our renewable electricity is supplied by Haven Power and Octopus Energy. The energy we buy from both Haven Power and Octopus Energy is 100% renewable and comes from a variety of sources including the sun, water, wind, and biomass. Haven Power’s specific renewable power mix in 2019 was 41% sun/solar, 26% wind, 24% biomass and 9% hydro/water. Octopus Energy’s renewable power mix is 100% renewable from sun, water and wind sources.
We know there are some questions about biomass. Biomass is an EU certified renewable power source, using compressed wood pellets. Haven Power is part of Drax, the UK’s largest biomass power generator which only sources it’s compressed wood pellets from sustainable, working forests.
We never stop working on trying to reduce our overall energy use. We’re always looking at everything we do and try and find ways to produce our products using less energy. We continue to improve our operational efficiencies using techniques such as heat recovery and, when we need to, upgrade our equipment to newer more efficient technologies that use cleaner fuels and less energy.
We will always use renewable energy and we will continue to do all we can to be as efficient as possible. We put nature first in all that we do.
