More than 800 solar panels have been installed at the Oxfordshire headquarters of BRITA UK.

BRITA UK has completed a £282,000 project to fit 818 solar panels at its Bicester Headquarters, marking a significant step in their commitment to combat climate change and making a crucial contribution towards reaching UK's net zero emissions goal.

The state-of-the-art panels were installed in February, covering 1,597 square metres on the rooftop of the site.

The installation is projected to generate 361,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power every year.

This level of energy production is enough to meet 26 per cent of the total electricity needs of BRITA's Bicester factory complex.

The initiative is part of BRITA's environmental pledge and will allow the company to reduce its greenhouse emissions by a substantial 84 tonnes annually.

To put this into context, this carbon reduction is equivalent to driving 215,500 miles or charging more than 10 million smartphones.

It's not just environmental benefits, the financial implications are equally attractive.

BRITA - a leading water filter company - estimates that the project will pay for itself within just 5 years, considering the prevailing electricity costs.

Neal Whitfield, managing director operations, BRITA UK, said: "We're excited to announce that our water filter cartridges will be powered by home grown renewable energy. It's all part of our contribution to Britain's push to reduce climate-changing pollution to net zero. "We exist to help people drink more sustainably and that starts with our operations, which is why the installation of over 800 solar panels at our head office and factory site is so important. "The solar panels look terrific on our roof, and I look forward to seeing them glinting in the summer sun when they will be producing maximum clean green power.”

The panels are made from monocrystalline silicon modules and are anticipated to make significant contribution in the sunny summer months by producing high amount of clean electricity.

The overall carbon saving from this initiative will be equivalent to planting 2,100 trees every year.

BRITA's commitment to the environment is not new.

The company has been actively advocating policies to curtail the usage of single-use plastics.

It aims that by 2025, its products will negate the requirement of 6.5 billion plastic water bottles annually.

Most recently, BRITA UK launched a national 'reach for the reusable' campaign urging the government to change planning rules to increase the number of water fountains in order to reduce the usage of single-use plastic water bottles.