Stafford’s invest in sustainability
STAFFORD’S Bakery has shown its commitment to renewable energy after it welcomed the installation of over 1,500 (PV) solar panels at its Gorey premises at the end of 2019.
A spokesperson said that the installation of 1,546 solar pv panels took ten weeks and so far the response to the move has been positive, and that Stafford Bakeries is committed to reducing its carbon footprint.
For this project, Stafford’s Bakery teamed up with the company Solar Electric, another local Wexford company based in Killanne, and the team are expecting the significant investment to pay for itself within the next five years.
‘ This idea was one of Sean Stafford himself, and it was an investment for the future. It’s really a no brainer to do this, because it has a positive effect on the environment and it makes business sense as well, it’s just got everything going for it’.
Given the large size of the state of the art bakery in the IDA Industrial Estate in Clonattin, Gorey, it is predicted the panels will produce the equivalent amount of electricity through solar energy to power over 100 homes per year for the next 25 years.
It also saves the site over 207 tonnes of carbon per annum that would have been produced.
When the PV installation was commissioned in October, it was the largest PV panel installation in the entire country.
It was a substantial investment but all at Stafford’s view it as worthwhile.
‘Over the ten weeks the solar panels, which are big and bulky, were stored on site. After this we had a team of solar electricity engineers attach them to the various roves around the place and then a fleet of electricians had to make sure that they were connected and wired up to the plant.
‘So far we have gotten a very positive reaction around the town, people are delighted that a Wexford business was one of the first to commit ourselves in this way to the environment and the planet,’ a spokesperson for Stafford’s said.
Gorey Tidy Towns has welcomed the efforts of Stafford’s saying ‘Well done to Stafford’s Bakeries on their sustainability efforts’.
Stafford’s Bakery has been in operation in Gorey since the 1950s, having first started in the town centre behind Joanne’s Café by Sean Stafford Senior.
It now employs more than 350 people and operates Cafés in Gorey, Wexford town and Arklow.
Stafford’s also supply fresh baked goods and confectionery to all the major supermarkets, and also make cakes for special occasions like birthdays, communions and confirmations as well as weddings.
With this latest investment in sustainable energy, all at Stafford’s are looking forward to 2020 and beyond in reducing the carbon footprint of the business.
Find out more by searching ‘Stafford’s Bakery’ on Facebook.