COVID-19 presented many challenges to businesses and has had lasting effects that make it difficult, if not impossible, to balance the books. This, combined with the climate change-related impacts, like last year’s record-breaking Atlantic hurricane seasons, makes it easy to see why companies are trying to reduce financial barriers and meet sustainability goals.
SunPower has teamed with some reputable companies this year to help install large solar projects throughout the country. These are some of our top picks for 2020.
McDonald’s
A SunPower solar installation made Earth’s happiest spot a little brighter and more sustainable. Its energy-efficient design makes waves at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. The solar system, equipped with 1,066 rooftop panels, can produce up to 600,000—kilowatts per year. While the solar system is the best feature of the restaurant, there are other cool sustainability features such as a living green wall, which actively absorbs rainwater, and Louver windows, which automatically open and close to bringing in cool air during the summer months.
Washington Metro (WMATA)
The Washington Metro has been recently dubbed the largest community-scale solar project in the area. It is currently covering four parking lots and garages with SunPower panels. These solar projects can generate 12.8 megawatts of solar power, equivalent to 13 football fields. This will help homeowners in the area save on their utility bills. These sites will produce enough electricity to control at least 1,500 single-family houses, providing reliable and clean electricity for years to come.
Chevron
Chevron has been increasing its use of offsets and renewables to support its business. A 29-megawatt SunPower solar array was recently installed at Chevron’s Lost Hills facility in California. The project is expected to produce more than 1.4 million kilowatt hours of solar energy in the next 20 years. The solar system is expected to have electricity equivalent to 80% of the area’s everyday energy.
A battery storage component is planned for Lost Hills. These modules will store the energy from solar arrays during peak solar power and allow for dispatching later when it is lower. This will help Chevron save even more electricity.
Gilead
Gilead also has its sights set on environmental stewardship. Gilead has another ambitious goal: to reduce carbon emissions by 25% by 2025. Gilead invested in cleaner sources of electricity to help accelerate this effort. Five Gilead locations currently rely solely on renewable energy. One of the five locations is located in Foster City, California. It boasts a SunPower system that will generate more than 9 million kWh of solar energy annually.
These projects represent just a tiny portion of the exciting work SunPower does with brands across America. According to Wood Mackenzie’s U.S. Commercial Solar Leaderboard Report, SunPower has been the #1 Commercial Solar Provider in installations and module technology for three years straight. Businesses trust SunPower for its high-quality solar solutions and comprehensive warranty repeatedly. SunPower often works with the same company multiple times for additional installations. To find out more about commercial sun solutions, complete our form.