ESG In Action Americold’s Renewable Energy Implementation

Friday the 11^th of March is World Solar Appreciation Day, which is a perfect time to reflect on solar power and its benefits.

Thomas Edison could see the value of solar power way back in 1931 when he said ‘I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power’.

23 years later, Gerald Pearson was credited with developing the first solar panel using silicon photovoltaic cells, which are still used in solar panels today. His solar cells were able to convert sunlight at 4% efficiency, less than a quarter of what modern cells are capable of today.

Moving forward to 2022, we now know that there is enough solar energy travelling to the earth each hour to meet all of humanity’s power needs for an entire year.

Americold already utilizes solar energy at several locations across its international network. We kicked off our long-term solar strategy in 2013 and we continually evaluate our facilities to identify opportunities to reduce energy usage. We are #AmericoldProud to have successfully completed our first solar panel installation in Australia, at our Laverton site, just outside of Melbourne, in Victoria.

The site receives approximately 2,380 hours of sunlight per year. During the summer months of December to February, the intensity of the sun can be extreme and pushes temperatures as high as 46˚C (115.5˚F), making it the ideal site for our first installation of 2,000 panels in Australia.

Many companies and media sources tout that solar energy provides monetary and environmental savings – but what does this really mean?

In terms of the installation at Americold’s Laverton facility, the data show that the solar cells generate enough electricity to power over 220 homes for a year! We will also avoid releasing over 1,200 tons (+2.65m lbs) of MTCO2e emissions from entering our environment.

Advocating for improvements in energy efficiency is an ongoing commitment at Americold. Environmental stewardship is part of the foundation of the Americold operating principles. Our approach to sustainability is driven by our people, projects, and purpose.

To learn more about our Environmental, Social and Governance initiatives and how you can leverage our efforts, please view our Sustainability web page and download a copy of our latest ESG report.