Demand Management, Commercial, Distributed Generation, Solar  -  February 10, 2017

UPS plans $18M distributed solar rollout

^{Photo of a portion of UPS's 1.2 MW solar installation in Parsippany, N.J., provided by UPS.} 

UPS recently announced plans to ramp up its investment in solar energy, to the tune of $18 million, as it becomes an owner/operator of solar assets, beginning with onsite installations at least eight of its U.S. facilities. 

The world's largest package delivery company said Feb. 7 that its investment will provide close to a fivefold increase in the amount of power generated from solar at UPS facilities today. In a statement, UPS said its more than 2,580 facilities worldwide position the company for the expanded investment in renewable energy.

UPS expects additional solar deployments to occur over the next several years as it identifies suitable opportunities. Once the solar installations are made, UPS expects each building will effectively produce 50% of its daily energy use via the sun. UPS plans to own and operate the installations, which it says will provide additional flexibility over the long term; UPS also plans to leverage its engineering and construction expertise in taking a leadership role in both the design and implementation of these projects.

The completion of the projects will expand UPS's owned solar power generating capacity by almost 10 MW. UPS said in its announcement that the expanded solar portfolio is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 8,200 metric tonnes per year. 

"Solar technology is a proven way to effectively and efficiently provide long-term power to our facilities," UPS director of facilities procurement Bill Moir said in a statement. "We have a significant number of facilities that are well positioned to deploy solar at scale and increase our sustainable energy options for our buildings and electric vehicles."

UPS’s investment in solar power began in 2004 in Palm Springs, Calif., where solar panels were installed and are still generating approximately 110 kW of renewable energy. Today, UPS also produces solar power at its facilities in Lakewood, Parsippany and Secaucus, N.J.

The solar announcement complements UPS's other sustainability initiatives, which include investment in alternative fuels for both its stationary and mobile assets. The company has invested more than $750 million in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and fueling stations globally since 2009. 

Read These Related Articles:

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