Aldi is set to have installed 96,000 solar panels on its stores and regional distribution centres across the UK by the end of 2017, giving the discount retailer enough solar capacity to generate more than 17,500MWh of electricity a year.
The retailer said earlier this week it plans to install an extra 11,000 solar panels by the end of 2017 in order to hit the target, having already deployed 85,000 panels across nine distribution centres and 275 stores in the UK.
In total, Aldi said it will have invested £17m in solar power by the year end, saving 8,100 tonnes of CO2 per annum and generating enough clean electricity to power around 6,200 households.
“We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and harnessing the power of solar energy is just one of the ways we’re doing that,” Mary Dunn, communications director at Aldi UK, said in a statement, adding that solar deployment is a key plank of the firm’s strategy to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2020.
As part of the 2020 target, Aldi also said it is currently replacing all its chest freezers with greener models, working to cut food waste and using heat recovered from fridges and freezers to slash energy consumption elsewhere in its operations.
“While sustainability is important to us, this isn’t just about reducing our impact on the environment,” Dunn said. “Efficiency is at the core of our business model and green initiatives, such as generating our own electricity and reducing waste, help Aldi provide our customers with the lowest prices on great quality products.”
Source: businessgreen.com
