Sainbury’s lays claim to Europe’s largest solar power array

UK supermarket retailer Sainsbury’s says it installed over 69,500 solar panels making it the operator of the largest solar power array in Europe.

The solar panels installed across 169 of its 572 stores add up to a total capacity of 16 MW, enough to power 4100 homes.

The solar rollout is part of the company’s 20 by 20 Sustainability Plan to cut operational carbon emissions 30% against 2005 levels by 2020. The solar panels will reduce the supermarket’s carbon emissions by around 6800 tonnes a year.

“We’ve already made real progress towards achieving our environmental commitments,” says chief executive Justin King. “This solar rollout is another big step forward. It makes sense for us - it’s good for the environment and for our business and we are actively looking to install more panels.”

King says that the retail sector should take another look at solar power as a way to reduce environmental impact, which is becoming increasingly vital in the face of rising energy costs and tighter regulations.

“Supermarkets have the equivalent of football fields on their roofs, many of them underutilised. It’s a perfect time to turn that space into something positive,” says King.

Solar energy costs could reach parity with the grid for commercial installations within the next two to four years, believes King, which could herald a new boom in the industry.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth has warmly welcomed Sainsbury’s effort as an example to other businesses.

“This major solar investment will make Sainsbury’s a greener grocer and gives a significant boost to the UK’s renewable energy sector,” says campaigner Andrew Pendleton.

Source:http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/articles/i/5305/?cid=3

NJ solar power boom has been fueled by ratepayer subsidies

Country Clean Paper Supplies in Ocean Township made the leap to solar energy a year ago, hoping it would eliminate its $1,800 monthly electric bill and receive credits that would provide a return on its investment.

It wasn’t long before the the credits’ value dwindled. And as much as the company has embraced the environment, its president last week sounded like he had buyer’s remorse; it will take him six years to repay what he borrowed to install the system.

“Down the road, when the loan is paid off, I’m saving $1,800 a month,” Frank Pavia said. “But I’m six years older.”

In a rare, bipartisan display, New Jersey lawmakers last month enacted a law designed to make Pavia’s investment worthwhile. It hopes to pump up demand in solar energy and help the state maintain its leadership in an industry that has reduced its dependence on fossil fuels and created thousands of jobs.

It shed light, however, on a market that nearly collapsed under the weight of its own success. It attracted more solar providers than the market could bear, forcing the state to step in and continue to subsidize the industry.

The law in a roundabout way could cost ratepayers $6 billion over the next 16 years, said Stefanie A. Brand, director of the Division of Rate Counsel, a state agency designed to protect utility customers.

Brand said she supported the law because the solar industry is relatively new and worth giving time to get its footing.

But “I don’t think it’s fair for the developers to assume that they’re going to continue to get subsidies and that ratepayers are going to ensure that (the solar industry) will never lose money,” she said. “At some point we have to take the training wheels off and let this industry move on its own.”

The Garden State’s ties to solar energy run deep; some of the biggest milestones in the industry’s development happened at Bell Labs and Fort Monmouth, said Lyle Rawlings, vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group.

Source:http://www.app.com/article/20120805/NJBIZ/308050010/NJ-solar-power-boom-has-been-fueled-by-ratepayer-subsidies

Sundial Solar Power Developers Helping Jackson Become Greener

Solar power is currently the fastest growing form of energy in the world. The use of solar energy is increasing two-fold. There’s a black-owned, Jackson-based business, Sundial Solar Power Developers, which is introducing its solar panel systems within the state of Mississippi.

Willie Shirley, co-owner of the company, said Sundial Solar Power Developers, analyzes, designs, and installs solar systems residentially and commercially.

Shirley said the solar market is growing because of the significant savings consumers can see on their electric bills.

The solar panel works by converting light from the sun into electricity. The collection of solar cells spread over a large area on the panel to provide enough energy to be useful. The more light that hits a cell, the more electricity it produces..

“The use of solar panels is picking up in the city of Jackson and in the state. Sundial Solar installed solar panels for Central Mississippi Health Services on Robinson Road Extension earlier this year,” Shirley said. “I’m sure more homeowners and businsesses will be interested in solar panels to save on their electric bills.”

Shirley went before the Jackson Public School Board recently to propose use of solar panels on every school in the district.

“The cost of solar panels fell 50 percent in 2011, making it more affordable to the consumer,” Shirley said.

Solar energy has proven to be a practical and economical solution to cutting costs on energy bills. More cities across our country are opting for the use of solar to save money and to make our country greener.

Hopefully our state and city leaders will think seriously about using solar energy on a statewide level.

Source:http://voices.clarionledger.com/jsmithlott/2012/08/04/sundial-solar-power-developers-helping-jackson-become-greener/