The solar panels on the roof of The Paisley Pear pub in Brackley.
TWO Marston’s pubs in Northamptonshire are among the first of 120 of its establishments across the UK to benefit from a new renewable energy deal.
The pub operator has agreed a deal with renewable energy specialist Two Blues Solar and installer Nuvolt that guarantees certainty of energy prices for the next 25 years.
The £5.4 million initiative is a Power Purchase Agreement under which Marston’s purchases all the renewable energy generated through solar panels on the roofs of its pubs rather than owning the solar equipment.
The deal protects Marston’s plc from price volatility and delivers immediate cost savings, the company said. It also contributes to Marston’s sustainability strategy and 2040 Net Zero targets. Each installation is expected to generate around 30,000 kWh of electricity annually, meeting between 15% and 20% of an individual pub’s energy demand.
The solar panels are already operating at the Paisley Pear in Brackley and the Wig & Walnut in Northampton.
“We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment, as we work towards a greener future for our guests, our people and the communities we serve,” said Andy Kershaw, Marston’s director of investment.
“Through this partnership, we can now significantly accelerate the rollout of solar across our community-based pub estate without diverting capital from our core operations, which will help our pubs make the transition to renewable energy while reducing our total emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.”
Power Purchase Agreements are a recognised solar funding solution for large manufacturers but far less established for multi-site portfolios of small sites. This is due to the complexity of ownership structures, administrative burdens and technical variations between sites. However, the model developed for the project by Two Blues Solar serves as a blueprint for the UK pub industry and other retail businesses, Marston’s says.
The rollout started in January, with installation teams targeted with completing ten installations a month. The initial rollout of 120 pubs is due to complete by Q2 2026.
“This is the first multi-site Power Purchase Agreement rollout of its kind for a large pub chain in the UK,” said Two Blues Solar co-founder Daniel Levene.
“Many traditional PPA providers shy away from clients with fragmented estates due to administrative complexity. Our standardised framework simplifies deployment across hundreds of sites, offering Marston’s a single, predictable energy rate for 25 years, insulating them from market swings while removing upfront costs.”
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