Pepsi turns Copella Green

PepsiCo install solar at their Copella Juice factory

Background

Corporate Responsibility is a key focus and a point of competitive advantage for many companies. Over the last twenty years multi-nationals have implemented more and more creative ways to lower their environmental impact, decrease their carbon footprint and demonstrate themselves as more socially responsible citizens. One of the simplest and quickest ways and wins for companies has been to look at ways of improving the efficiency of their own buildings and operations.

Greening buildings, energy saving machinery, and improving staff procedures are all positive ways of doing this. However, one of the most effective ways to lower a company’s environmental impact is to look at how and what type of energy they source and use. Companies whose operations use large amounts of fossil fuel power to run their operations will always have a more negative impact on the planet than those who seek out renewable and cleaner forms of energy – like solar PV. This was exactly the logic, which underpinned PepsiCo’s desire to lower their carbon footprint at their Copella factory in Suffolk.

The Project

Key Information Copella Statistics
Array Size (kWp) 143.75
Internal Rate of Return (Ex VAT) 17.4%
Payback (years) 6.4
Annual Generation (kWh) 120,319
Yield (kWh/kWp) 837
CO2 saving (t/year) 63.8

 

Joju carried out the commercial solar installation at PepsiCo’s Copella factory with the efficiency and due diligence that is required when installing at a very busy and active factory. It was essential that we installed on time and on budget and that we caused zero interruption to the sites operations – we succeeded in all these aims. The system installed was connected to the existing LV circuits via a witness tested G59 protection unit and all roofs operated on had installed fixed permanent edge protection. The performance the PV system met all KPIs allowing the on-time release of 100% of the agreed retention. The system utilises high efficiency Swiss manufactured inverters and Tier 1 solar modules all with European backed warranties. The table above summarises key information of the commercial solar panel project including the savings benefits financial and environmentally.

What they said

The managing director of M.D Controlls, PepsiCo onsite electrical contractors said of our work and the solar installation, “Clearly they are dedicated experts for this technology and they absolutely shared our ethos of prioritising Health and Safety above everything else.”

 

Date

January 12, 2017

Category

Commercial, Solar