Description- TLC Packaging installs a 1176-panel rooftop solar system at its factory in Telford. The company expects to cut approximately 95 tonnes of carbon emissions with this move.
In August 2026, TCL Packaging, a leading UK manufacturer of flexible plastic packaging for food and non-food products, installed a 1,176-panel rooftop solar system at its factory in Telford. The system, which uses innovative DC-optimised inverter technology to meet strict insurer-mandated safety standards, is forecast to cut carbon emissions by an expected 95 tonnes per year.
The company’s project marks a major milestone in its journey and the mission to meet the growing consumer demand for sustainable packaging, along with keeping rising energy costs under control. The Telford facility consumes 1.4GWh of electricity annually due to the energy-intensive processes used in flexible plastic packaging production.
“We serve customers across several major FMCG sectors where sustainability is a top priority. Switching to solar power will allow us to offer a more sustainable supply chain, strengthening our competitive position,” says John Hallett, Compliance Manager at TCL Packaging. “When we first looked into solar a few years ago, the payback period was around seven years. With electricity costs now almost three times higher, we expect to see a much faster return on our investment, making now the ideal time to invest.”
Safety was the prime consideration for the company due to the large volume of highly flammable solvents required during the manufacturing procedure. The project tender also specified SolarEdge DC-optimised inverter technology to meet the rigorous safety standards set by the company’s insurers, landlord surveyors, and fire-risk assessors. Installer Mypower was awarded the contract because of its extensive experience in installing SolarEdge systems and its strong focus on safety.
“We are pleased to have delivered this project for TCL Packaging. We rely on SolarEdge technology for its proven reliability, optimised energy efficiency and industry-leading safety features,” says Ben Harrison, Managing Director at Mypower. “These are the non-negotiables that enabled us to design a rooftop array that not only meets the strictest safety standards but also maximises energy production, delivering peace of mind along with significant cost and carbon savings for the factory.”
The SolarEdge system also features a suite of built-in safety features that are especially designed to provide optimal protection without the need for additional hardware. It includes Sense Connect™ arc-fault detection and prevention technology, and SafeDC, which is designed to automatically reduce panel voltage to touch-safe levels to provide safer roof access for maintenance teams and firefighters. For added reassurance, Mypower also installed a SolarEdge Firefighter Gateway. This is integrated with the building’s alarm panel to enable rapid, system-wide shutdown in the event of a fire alarm. 
The DC-optimised technology is also designed to maximize energy production, even on complex rooftops such as TCLs. The roof features east-, west-, and south-facing sections and is heavily congested with chimneys and other obstructions, all factors that can severely limit energy production in traditional string inverter systems.
In traditional solar rooftop panel systems, all panels must be installed at the same angle and orientation, while shading on a single panel can reduce the performance of every connected panel. SolarEdge helps to overcome such limitations with the help of Power Optimizers installed beneath each panel pair, allowing them to operate independently from others on the same string. As a result, shading affects only the impacted panels, while the rest of the system continues to perform at full capacity. This also allows panels to be placed at different angles, presenting far greater design and installation flexibility.
“Thanks to the design flexibility offered by this technology, we were able to install panels across 80% of the factory roof,” comments Harrison at Mypower. “As a result, the system is expected to offset around 26% of TCL’s electricity use – a significant achievement for such a high-energy-use facility.”
SolarEdge is a global leader in smart energy technology. It helps to leverage world-class engineering capabilities, and with a relentless focus on innovation, it creates smart energy solutions that help to power lives and drive future progress. It also developed an intelligent inverter solution that helped to change the way power is harvested and managed in photovoltaic (PV) systems. The company’s DC optimized inverter seeks to maximize power generation while lowering the cost of energy produced by the PV system. The company also addresses a broad range of energy market segments through its PV storage, EV charging, batteries, and grid service solutions.
11 September 2026
10 September 2026
09 September 2026
08 September 2026