Monday 29 April 2013

Staples unveils new solar installation

Office supply giant Staples has unveiled its latest solar power facility at its global headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts in the US.

The project is Staples’ 37th solar array and brings the company’s solar power capacity to a total of nearly 14MW – equivalent to powering nearly 1,800 average US homes per year.

The 685KW installation consists of more than 2,440 solar panels and is expected to generate 850,000 kWh of energy every year and cut more than 12,000 tons of carbon emissions in the next 20 years.

Staples will purchase the energy generated from the system under a power purchase agreement with SunEdison, the company that installed the panels.

Mark Buckley, Vice President of Environmental Affairs for Staples said: “This solar power system is a demonstration of Staples’ dedication to sustainability across our business. Our partnership for solar energy with SunEdison provides cost-effective power and helps Staples meet its environmental goals.”

Staples is said to use renewable power for 100% of its total US electricity consumption – which is more than 636 million kWh – equivalent of powering around 67,000 average US homes a year. It claims its total solar power use nationally has offset more than 42,000 tons of carbon dioxide in the past eight years.