Marston’s has partnered with renewable energy solutions provider Two Blues Solar and installer Nuvolt to deploy solar across 120 of the Group’s community-based pubs over the next 12 months.
The ÂŁ5.4m investment, fully financed by Atrato Onsite Energy, operates through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), a long-term contract in which Marston’s purchases 100% of the renewable energy generated on its roofs rather than owning the solar equipment.
This arrangement guarantees certainty of energy prices for 25 years, protecting Marston’s from market volatility whilst delivering immediate cost savings for the Group.
This important project contributes to Marston’s sustainability strategy and ambitious 2040 Net Zero targets, with each installation expected to generate approximately 30,000 kWh of electricity annually, meeting c.15-20% of each pub’s energy demand. The rollout will reduce Marston’s carbon emissions by a significant 600 tonnes in the first year, equivalent to removing 430 cars from the road.
Andy Kershaw, director of investment at Marston’s, said: “As the UK’s leading local pub company, 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.”
“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, helping our pubs make the transition to renewable energy while reducing our total emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.”
The rollout started in January, with installation teams working simultaneously across multiple sites to complete 10 systems per month. Each installation takes two to three weeks to complete and has no impact on regular business activities. The partners expect to complete the first phase of 120 solar installations by early 2026.
Daniel Levene, co-founder of Two Blues Solar, added: “This is the first multi-site Power Purchase Agreement rollout of its kind for a large pub chain in the UK. 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.”
