Dec 10 2010
Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market, which owns and operates around 150 stores in Nevada, Arizona and California, declared that it has contracted REC Solar, a known solar power system providing company, to erect roof mounted solar systems over nine of its stores.
Earlier, the company had installed solar panels over a 500,000 sq.ft area of its distribution center located in Riverside, California. The installation currently meets nearly 1/5th of the power requirement of the distribution center.
The 410 kW roof mounted solar system planned over the roof top of its nine stores, will generate over 620,000 kWh of solar power every year. The total power produced from the installation can be equated to offsetting nearly 22 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions or taking out 28 million miles drive by the cars in the ensuing 25 years. The energy saving features installed in the stores enabled them to use comparatively 30% reduced energy than a usual supermarket.
Tim Mason, CEO of Fresh and Easy, said that the successful installation and use of solar panels over the company’s distribution center has prompted the company to install solar panels over its stores to cut down its spending on energy further. He added that his company had earlier reduced its consumption of water and energy and has further introduced energy efficiency methods to pass on the low price advantages to its clients.