Welsh giftware supplier Something Different Wholesale had the pleasure of hosting Vaughan Gething, the Minister for the Economy of Wales, on June 7 to celebrate the completion of a solar project funded by the Green Business Loan Scheme.
He visited the company’s premises on Swansea Enterprise Park, along with Giles Thorley, Chief Executive of Development Bank of Wales, and Rhian Elston, Investment Director of the Development Bank of Wales.
As one of the earliest beneficiaries of the Green Business Loan Scheme, Something Different Wholesale received a £1.2 million loan. This initiative, established by the Development Bank of Wales and the Welsh Government, aims to assist businesses in Wales in reducing their carbon footprint – with the ultimate goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Something Different Wholesale used the investment to install more than 2,000 solar panels on its 158,000sq ft warehouses at its headquarters in Llansamlet.
The solar panel project will generate an impressive 1.1 million kilowatts of power annually. Of this, the business will consume 300,000 kilowatts to support its operations and sell the remaining 800,000 kilowatts as surplus energy back to the grid. This achievement equates to savings of over 650 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year (equivalent to driving 3,780,00 miles in a car annually).
The installation of the new panels follows an upgrade of the company’s lighting to LED lights in 2021, furthering its commitment to sustainable initiatives.
Jane Wallace-Jones, CEO and Managing Director of Something Different Wholesale, said: “We were delighted to welcome Vaughan Gething, Giles Thorley and Rhian Elston to our headquarters and showcase the successful implementation of the investment in our solar panel project. The visit provided an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how the funds have been utilised to enable us to lead the way towards a sustainable future for Wales.
“The support from the Development Bank of Wales has been instrumental in enabling us to achieve our first milestone on our journey to net carbon zero, as we continuously look for ways to build a greener future.”
