BRADFORD-based carton board packaging company Cartonage is looking to a greener future with the installation of new solar panels on the roof of its premises, financed by Paragon Bank.

The six-figure finance package has been provided Paragon’s SME Lending division to Adwalton Holdings, the owners of Adwalton Business Park, on which Cartonage is located.

The solar panels were supplied by Wetherby-based renewable energy company Local Renewable Services.

Andrew Eastham, who is a director of both the Cartonage and Adwalton Holdings businesses, estimates the solar panels will provide over a quarter of Cartonage’s energy requirements when fully operational.

Cartonage, established in 1995, designs and manufactures cartonboard food sleeves and folding cartons predominantly, for the UK food industry. The company saw its energy bill triple earlier this year as a result of the increase in prices.

The company has invested in a number of key production areas over the last two years to improve efficiency, which has now allowed it to implement measures to address the energy challenge, including condensing 10 shifts a fortnight into nine, helping to reduce energy usage whilst maintaining output.

Mr Eastham said the company was now examining how to add solar panels on other units on the Adwalton Business Park.

The finance was arranged by Paragon Bank’s SME Lending Business Development Executive Kyle Johnson.