Dave Mathieson and Nazar Soofi write about rising energy costs triggering renewables installation

As the price of Brent crude – and subsequently the cost of energy – rises, businesses are facing another rise in operating costs. But could this result in businesses generating their own energy to control costs? Writing for Food Manufacture, Dave Mathieson, managing director in Funding and Insurance at BTG, and Nazar Soofi, director and head of sustainability at BTG Eddisons ask the question.

Even before the latest energy crisis businesses were investing in renewables to tackle volatile energy costs. In 2025, 7.78GW of solar projects were approved, a rise on the prior high of 5.72GW in the previous year. This is in stark contrast to just 0.37GW in 2019.

The same acceleration in approvals has been seen in battery installations with more than 35GW of storage approved in 2025. This data suggests the move for businesses towards renewables is well underway.

Nazar Soofi writes:

“An estate review can quickly uncover the opportunities for solar PV installations, particularly rooftop and car park solar installations for large food manufacturing sites. This includes suitable areas for battery installations to accompany them.

“[We] design, cost and project manage installations, including analysis of current energy spend, potential savings and payback periods for the site, to provide the best solution.”

However, for manufacturers that are experiencing financial distress, a transition to renewable energy may not be top of the priority list. Despite this, a long-term energy strategy, even when experiencing some distress, could be a viable option with finance options available.

Dave Mathieson writes:

"The conclusion appears to be that energy from renewables is no longer being viewed as just a sustainability or ESG policy move, it is now a cost control and financial planning move.

“As a result of this climate many lenders – both high street and alternative – have become more accustomed to financing solar projects. This is especially true when exploring asset-backed finance against large machinery or even buildings.”

Concluding their thoughts for readers, Dave and Nazar highlight that renewables are helping to bring more stability to one of the largest costs facing manufacturers — energy. The question, they say, is whether the trend of installing renewables can give long-term control over the bottom line for the industry.

Read the full article on Food Manufacture