Ready To Go Solar?
As part of Symtech Solar’s #ReadyToGoSolar campaign we are encouraging businesses to acquire commercial solar energy systems for their premises’s in order to reduce energy costs and improve their corporate social responsibility while helping to Fight Climate Change.
Historically solar energy (PV), a resilient modular energy technology has supported the shortcomings of large and small-scale utility energy shortages, originating as an alternative source of energy aimed at supporting limitations of traditional fossil-fueled power plants. In the early days of the technology, PV did not typically make financial sense mainly due to its limited manufacturing capability. Thus, the technology existed as a niche product utilized for specialized power applications such as satellites and remote power station applications. Fortunately,those days are long gone; and today PV not only makes financial sense to home and business owners but also is a technology widely applied to land-dwelling applications ranging from remote cabins to large utility scale power plants aiming at reducing the use of fossil fuels.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) a combined total of photovoltaic installations accounted for 485 GW of power globally by 2018. Although most of these installations are large utility scale PV power plants, commercial PV derived in second place followed by residential and off grid installations.
While Solar continues to be the most predominant global renewable energy source, more and more organizations are incorporating this technology into their energy portfolio to generate financial benefits whilst contributing positively to the environment and their community. Currently the PV market offers a wide variety of installation options that offers flexibility to businesses and homeowners hedging against future energy costs. This strategy enables companies to rollover product cost savings to customers whereas simultaneously meeting their energy sustainability goals.
All these factors are part of the win-win situation to all players involved in the development of solar energy projects.
Below some key highlights of the positive effects that commercial PV installations offer.
- Reassuring Employment Industry economic stimulation
11 million renewable energy jobs worldwide where reported in 2018, 700,000 more than in 2017. - Increased Access to Energy
Companies are able to scale and diversify their energy requirements. Providing Energy Security, businesses can manage and prioritize their energy usage. - Tax & Financial Benefits
Companies achieve system depreciation, access to government incentives and in some cases sell back excess energy generated by their PV system. - Increase of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Businesses demonstrate their positive public perception whilst launching their environmental initiatives, which result in brand recognition and customer acquisition.
Walmart committed to sustainability
Walmart Inc., an international retail corporation (in 2016) got their emissions-reduction initiative plan approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. Walmart aims to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) to 18 percent by 2025 from their 2015 levels through a combination of measures which include transitioning to renewable energy sources. As the third scope of their emissions-reduction initiative plan Walmart has launched Project Gigaton that aims to encourage suppliers to reduce GHG emissions throughout their global value supply chain.
In 2019, Symtech Solar in partnership with Soluciones JSL installed ten commercial PV systems for Walmart and Bodega Aurrera stores in Mexico. The combined installed capacity of the various rooftops added a total of 2.36 MWp nameplate solar power. The project kicked off with the installation (prototype) at Sam’s club store in the municipality of Delicias Chihuahua in 2018. The initial installation was used to evaluate the PV system’s yield and production data that was measured throughout the year. Upon successful and verified production data, nine additional stores where granted the go ahead for PV systems to be designed and installed by Symtech Solar and Soluciones JSL (2019).
The nine stores where successfully installed on schedule based on the projects requirements and are now expected to offset a minimum of 2693 tons of Co2 annually. This milestone has helped Walmart Inc. achieve part of its future sustainable energy goals.
