6 October 2026
Reducing site emissions through solar-powered site accommodation
Driving sustainable innovation through collaboration
Identifying and scaling practical sustainability innovations is a key focus of Robertson's Sustainable Procurement Forum. Bringing together colleagues from our sustainability and procurement teams alongside external partners, the forum trials new technologies, products and approaches on live projects to assess their environmental benefits, operational performance and cost effectiveness. Successful solutions are then embedded into our standard site setup to help reduce emissions at scale.
Piloting lower-carbon site power
One example is the deployment of Think Hire's Solartainer, deployed at Hazlehead Academy Campus, Clackmannanshire's Wellbeing Hub, at Maryhill and Cuningar Loop.
The project required a low-carbon power solution from day one to enable site set-up ahead of a grid connection, while maintaining reliable performance in typical UK conditions. Following successful trials on projects including Alloa Wellbeing Hub, Cunningar Loop and Maryhill, the solution demonstrated a scalable and repeatable approach to reducing emissions from construction site operations.
Think Hire won the Sustainable Trailblazer award at the Robertson Supply Chain Awards 2026.
21,670
litres of fuel saved
57.6
tonnes of carbon reduced
£1,521
saved per week
A solar hybrid generator
The Solartainer is a solar hybrid generator that generates power from daylight rather than direct sunlight, making it effective in UK conditions. Available in sizes ranging from 24kW to 84kW, units can be linked together to meet site demand and are supported by 24/7 remote monitoring.
Performance data has demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach:
- Approximately 24% of site power supplied by solar energy
- Around 87% of runtime delivered through solar and battery power alone
- 21,670 litres of fuel avoided
- 57.6 tonnes CO₂e reduced
- £1,521 per week saving
Sustainable site benefits
Alongside carbon and cost savings, the solution has delivered operational benefits, including fewer refuelling requirements, reduced fuel deliveries and a lower risk of fuel spills. Remote monitoring also improves reliability, with around 87.5% of faults resolved remotely, typically within 20 minutes.
The successful deployment of Solartainer demonstrates how our Sustainable Procurement Forum is helping identify and scale practical low-carbon innovations. By combining environmental benefits with proven operational performance, solutions such as these are supporting Robertson's journey towards net zero while helping reduce emissions from day-to-day site operations.
Responsible business overview
Return to our Responsible Business overview to explore our sustainability targets, progress and the actions we're taking to assure a sustainable future.