Devon Garden Machinery blooms with solar investment

Garden and turf-care equipment supplier, Devon Garden Machinery, has invested more than £85,000 in a new solar power system on the roof of its new premises, with help from asset finance provider, Ignition.

The Torquay-based family business has been celebrating its 40th birthday this week.  It is a distributor for top brands such as Toro, Iseki, Honda and Husqvara, and is well-established as one of the largest robotic mower centres in the South West, serving commercial and private customers across the region.  It recently moved into a brand-new building adjacent to its previous site in Kerswell Gardens, as part of a new development featuring an Aldi store and a Costa Coffee shop.

According to owners, Steve and Charlotte Dommett, the move to the new building provided a perfect opportunity to invest in solar energy, helping to reduce the company’s carbon emissions, whilst saving on energy costs. Financed by Ignition and installed by Sun Energy, the investment includes 190 solar panels as part of a 75 kW system that will save around 13.2 tonnes of C02 per year.

Ignition provides support to SMEs by financing a wide range of assets from vehicles and machinery to business equipment and renewable energy.  This can include solar panels, wind turbines, biomass and heating systems and LED lighting. It was able to assist Devon Garden Machinery with a hire purchase agreement, spreading the cost of the solar power system and its installation into manageable monthly repayments.

Charlotte Dommett comments:

“We’re delighted to be up and running in our spacious new premises!  It has been designed to suit our needs as a growing business, with a dedicated showroom, training rooms, and much better access for moving the machines in and out. 

“We were also keen to consider the environment within the building design, so have introduced a rainwater harvesting system and a recycling wash system for the wash area, as well as installing the solar power system which will significantly reduce our carbon output. We’re grateful to the team at Ignition for providing swift access to finance for the solar project and for supporting us throughout the move.”

Eleanor Smith, Ignition’s business development manager and solar specialist comments:

“It’s been fantastic to see this regional family business flourish and to assist them with this important milestone!  The new site looks amazing and has been carefully designed so that it’s perfect for Devon Garden Machinery as it expands, as well as meeting its ambitious sustainability goals.”