AstraZeneca, a biopharmaceutical company that functions in over 100 countries globally, declared that it has erected a 1.7 MW solar power system at its Delaware campus. The new system has 7,300 solar panels and is considered to be the biggest non-utility solar project in the region. It will meet nearly 10% of the campus’ power requirement.
The solar installation will generate around 2.1 million kWh of clean electricity every year, which is adequate to meet the power requirement of around 100 homes. The power generated from the system will offset nearly 1,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, which can be equated to removing 300 cars from the road per annum. Earlier, AstraZeneca had completed two solar installations at the campus in 2004 and 2008.
Jack Markell, Governor of Delaware, said that by opting for green and renewable energy sources to power its campus, AstraZeneca is making investment in its energy future and security. He added that by choosing Motech, a Deleware-based company for the installation, the company has enabled hundreds of jobs in the region. The project meets both environmental and economic requirements, he concluded.