In partnership with North West-based energy and sustainability consultancy, Sustainable Energy First (SE First), Blenheim Palace has not only achieved one of its 10-year goals to become a net generator of green energy; it has also become the first member of the Sustainable Energy Consortium (SEC) to both import and export energy.
Through SE First, the SEC presented an alternative and simpler contracting option for the Blenheim Estate and its Weaveley Solar Park – the opportunity to have a unified strategy, combining both the importer and exporter perspective.
The solar park now supplies Blenheim Palace with all of its electricity; at any point when that is not possible – during periods of maintenance, for example – the power comes from other renewable sources through the Sustainable Energy Consortium.
Completed in May 2025, the 20-acre, 7MW Weaveley Solar Park – Blenheim’s first large-scale solar installation – is a landmark project in its equally ambitious journey to achieve Net Zero by 2027. The solar park, which will have at least a 30-year lifespan, marks a bold stride in continuing to blend heritage with sustainability.
Blenheim Palace’s inclusion in the SEC – a pioneering group-buying approach which makes renewable energy accessible to more businesses – helps provide security of their energy supply, thanks to the combined diversity of renewable generation technologies and locations, so if one site requires downtime due to maintenance, another will make up the energy demand. For added resilience and predictability the supply is backed by a five-year term, as opposed to the lengthy 15-20 year terms usually seen in a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA).
Sustainable Energy First (SE First) started working with Blenheim Palace in January 2024, who were seeking the help of an energy and sustainability consultancy.
SE First were brought on board to assist with securing a way for Blenheim Palace to be able to use the energy that the solar park generates, and sell back the excess energy. This initially seemed to present a complicated case of two different procurement strategies with separate contracts, which didn’t really align with the estate’s vision.
Roy Cox, Managing Director – Blenheim Estates, commented: “Our priority was to find a partner with a flexible approach, able to sleeve our energy to the Palace but also be able to supply green energy when that is not possible. When you are a fairly small generator, you need partnerships like this to create scaled and ambitious outcomes. Such solutions mean other businesses can follow our lead and together we can begin to find greener and more sustainable ways of powering our future.”
He added: “This land previously had zero biodiversity and was exhausted from years of intensive farming, but we’re already seeing an uplift in the site’s biodiversity, thanks to a number of measures including the flower and nectar rich mixes already sown, wild bee habitats and thriving hedges for food and shelter.”
The SEC contains many members and each one benefits in receiving access to true green renewable energy, meaning that Blenheim Palace are also providing other like-minded UK companies with the energy they generate. This makes a truly circular energy cycle and positions them at the forefront of this pioneering future of energy procurement.
Quote from Matt Osbourne Associate Director of Renewable Energy and Origination, Sustainable Energy First – : “The decision to be both consumer and generator in the Sustainable Energy Consortium makes them true pioneers when it comes to their energy and sustainability goals. Blenheim Palace joining the Sustainable Energy Consortium is a huge coup for us, not only does it further enable us to provide more 100% renewable energy to UK businesses, but to be working closely with one of the UK’s most iconic palaces is fantastic.
“Made possible through our collaboration with energy supplier Evolve Energy, the supply of true green energy supports their net zero ambitions and reinforces their ambitions to blend heritage with sustainability.”
If you’d like to learn more about Sustainable Energy First’s services and how we can support your sustainability goals, visit our procurement page for more info or get in touch.
