UK bakery chain to get Chinese solar panels

Trina Solar, one of China's top photovoltaic solar panel manufacturers, announced on Tuesday that it will provide 1.28 megawatts of PV modules to UK-based Solar Advanced Systems. The equipment will be installed at 10 Greggs bakery sites across the United Kingdom.

Greggs is the largest bakery chain in the UK.

The deal represents the latest step in the expansion into overseas markets by Trina.

When completed, the project will cut Greggs' carbon emissions by 600 metric tons a year and help the company reduce its carbon footprint by 25 percent by 2015. The project, from planning to installation, will be completed in about six months, the company said.

Trina said the panels are rated at a peak efficiency of 16.2 percent and a power output of up to 265 watts.

Greggs was looking for a sustainable way to reduce its carbon emissions and cut overall energy costs.

"We pay a lot of attention to energy consumption during production," said Stephen Weldon, manager of the social responsibility section at Greggs. "By installing solar panels in our stores, we can both save energy and reduce emissions."