Overcoming challenges

Like many businesses in the Black Country, CMT faced a significant obstacle: their industrial roofs were not suitable for solar panel installation without extensive overcladding or structural repairs. This added a considerable expense to the project, making the transition to renewable energy a significant challenge.

To overcome this, CMT identified a smaller, suitable office roof for their solar initiative. While this installation would only meet 10% of their energy needs, it offered an opportunity to gain valuable experience for larger-scale projects.

CMT partnered with CEC Renewables, a Wolverhampton-based solar specialist, to handle the project, this included:

Securing approvals from the energy grid operator.
Organising scaffolding, logistics and installation.
Commissioning the solar panel system.

Making a Difference

The solar panels installed at CMT are expected to generate 1.61MWh of energy annually, saving 1.14 tons of CO2 emissions every year.

CMT also uses a monitoring app that tracks the system’s energy output and calculates savings in real-time, helping them better understand the environmental and financial benefits of solar energy.

Anjali Agrawal, CEO of CMT Engineering, said “Once you have a solar panel on your roof, part of your energy becomes free, it has to be the way forward. We see it as absolutely essential to meet energy demands and the challenges of climate change that face us all.”

Looking Ahead

This small-scale solar installation marks just the beginning for CMT Engineering. The company now plans to explore larger solar projects, provided solutions can be found to address structural challenges on their main roofs.

CMT Engineering’s commitment to renewable energy reflects the growing movement among local businesses to embrace sustainability and get closer to achieving net zero. Visit our net zero page to be a part of the movement.

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