Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has established a partnership with REC Solar to install roof-mount solar systems on nine Arizona stores. The combined 410 kilowatts of installed solar systems will produce an estimated 620,000 kilowatt-hours annually, the equivalent of reducing 22 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions—or removing 28 million car-driven miles—over the next 25 years.
“Fresh & Easy’s decision to become more energy-independent is an example of why the Arizona Commerce Authority is focused, in part, on facilitating investment in the renewable energy sector and on job creation and training,” said Don Cardon, president and chief executive officer, Arizona Commerce Authority.
The supermarket chain has invested in one of California’s largest solar roof installations on its distribution center in Riverside CA. This installation, which is more than 500,000 square feet, produces about 1/5 of the energy for the entire facility. Fresh & Easy’s website provides a live reporting feed from the solar installation at the distribution center, reporting in real time the performance of the panels (http://freshandeasy.com/GreenBuilding).
Installation of the REC Solar systems will begin in March 2011 at these Arizona stores:
•Alma School & Elliot, Chandler
•Crismon & Guadalupe, Mesa
•Sossaman & Southern, Mesa
•Higley & Ray, Gilbert
•107th Avenue & Thomas, Avondale
•19th Avenue & Baseline, Phoenix
•19th Avenue & Glendale, Phoenix
•32nd Street & Greenway, Phoenix
•Camelback & 83rd Avenue, Phoenix
Fresh & Easy operates more than 150 stores in California, Arizona, and Nevada. For more information about the company, visit www.freshandeasy.com. Also follow it on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fresh_and_easy or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/freshandeasy.
REC Solar has more than a dozen offices in six states: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Arizona, and New Jersey. For additional information, visit www.recsolar.com or call 1-888-657-6527.
