Case study: Helping Wills Estate find the right solar setup

CLA Energy Services
Jul 4
2 min read

Investing in solar is a big decision, especially when you’re running a working estate with multiple buildings and varying energy needs. With different installers offering different systems, costs and promises, it’s not always clear what’s right for your business.

That was the challenge Wills Estate faced when they received several solar quotes but weren’t sure which one, if any, was a good fit.

The situation

Wills Estate wanted to reduce energy costs and improve sustainability across their Home Farm and Lodge Farm sites. But the quotes they’d received were inconsistent - different system sizes, different kit, and no way to know which would deliver the best return.

How we helped

CLA Energy Services reviewed the quotes but couldn’t confidently recommend any of them. Instead, we arranged a visit from one of our approved and vetted installers.

We gathered meter details and energy usage for each building to fully understand the estate’s needs. From there, we matched them with a solar system that fit their usage and budget, designed to maximise return on investment.

The outcome

Wills Estate now has solar panels installed across both sites. The system is delivering:

Around £36,000 in energy savings and export payments in the first year
A return on investment in under 6 years
Over 55,000kg in carbon savings each year
More than £1 million in estimated long-term benefit

In their words

"CLA Energy Services took the time to understand what we needed and gave us confidence in the whole process. The installer they recommended was professional and reliable, and the system we’ve ended up with is a great fit for the estate. We’re really pleased with the outcome.” – Hamish Gairdner