Albourne Estate in Sussex becomes 'power partner' in Good Energy initiative

By Giles Gwinnett

27 September 2023

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The estate's 159 solar panels generates enough power for its needs with the surplus sold to Good Energy - picture contributed

A family-owned vineyard and winery near Brighton, which produces energy via solar panels, has been paired up with media firm IMG in an initiative from Chippenham-based supplier Good Energy.

The idea of 'Power Partners' is that Good Energy's customers can see where their power comes from by linking them with one of the company's more than 2,000 independent generators.

The Albourne Estate in Sussex overlooks the South Downs and its 159 solar panels generates enough power for its needs, with the surplus sold to Good Energy.

The electricity used by IMG’s production facilities near London will be matched via Good Energy with the power output of the Sussex site.

Tom Parsons, Good Energy's head of sales and origination, said: "We’re proud to be supported by customers who want to play their part in tackling the climate crisis by sourcing their power from nature.

"This new initiative allows us to take it a step further by matching some of our business customers with a generator, building a closer relationship and raising awareness of where their electricity comes from.

"The grid is interconnected so clearly there isn’t a direct physical link between the partners, but it’s a much more engaging way of demonstrating our commitment to renewables."

Vineyard owner Alison Nightingale added: "We have panels across the roofs of the winery buildings which generate 38,000kWh a year.

"It's a great feeling to know we’re not only powering all our own operations through sunshine, but we’re also generating a surplus which is contributing to the overall growth in green energy use by others.

"Everyone benefits - and we’re helping to protect the planet too."

IMG Studios distributes more than 35,000 hours of global content every year, including international programming for the Premier League, English Football League (EFL), Major League Soccer (MLS), DP World Tour golf and The Open.

Brian Leonard, its head of engineering, said: “When you look at the list of a hundred things you can do, your choice of energy supplier is probably the most important decision you can make.

"Thanks to Good Energy and Albourne Estate, we can be the leader in being a production partner with sustainability at our heart."

Good Energy, founded 20 years ago, said that in 2022, its community of independent generators produced 700GWh of green power - enough for all the homes in Edinburgh for almost a year.

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By Giles Gwinnett

Giles Gwinnett is a writer at The Business Magazine. He has been a journalist for more than 20 years and covered a vast array of topics at a range of media settings - in print and online. After his NCTJ newspaper training, he became a reporter in Hampshire before moving to a news agency in Gloucestershire. In recent years, he has been covering the financial markets along with company news for an investor-focused web portal. His many interests include politics, energy and the environment. He lives in Dorset.