Hormel Foods Announces Construction of Solar Energy Project at its Swiss American Sausage Company Facility in California
AUSTIN, Minn.: Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) and IGS Solar have started construction on a solar energy project at the Hormel Foods Swiss American Sausage Company facility in Lathrop, Calif.The project is slated for completion in July.
IGS will partner with PCI Solar who will install the solar system, which will consist of 1,998 panels constructed on both roof and ground space. The project is projected to generate roughly 1.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) per year — enough to supply more than 15 percent of the facility’s annual electricity consumption.
The new solar array will help the environment by offsetting an estimated 869 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year that would otherwise be emitted by a conventional fossil fuel power plant. That amount of emissions avoided is also equivalent to removing 185 cars from the road annually or avoiding burning 950,419 pounds of coal.
“We place great emphasis on minimizing our environmental impacts when producing food for customers and consumers around the world,” said Tom Raymond, director of environmental sustainability at Hormel Foods. “This project supports our environmental sustainability goals and is another example of the company’s commitment and support of renewable energy.”
IGS and PCI worked hand in hand with Hormel Foods to deliver a project that provides meaningful energy savings for the company. IGS Solar will own, operate and maintain the array. The company is assisting Hormel Foods to integrate solar generation into their energy portfolio, while helping them better control the long-term energy costs for their buildings.
“We’re not only excited about working with Hormel Foods, but we’re also looking forward to the economic benefits this project will yield for them,” said William Neverman, regional manager, IGS Solar. “We look forward to a long-standing partnership with Hormel Foods as they continue their focus on energy sustainability efforts.”
The Hormel Foods project is the latest California installation for PCI Solar and will bring the company’s installed capacity in the state to over 8MW.
“We are honored to be installing the company’s first on-site solar project,” said Craig Floyd, general manager of PCI Solar. “Bringing this project to construction required close collaboration with Hormel Foods and IGS Solar, and we couldn’t have asked for better partners. We look forward to working together further.”
In addition to this project, Hormel Foods also supports the renewable energy markets by subscribing to community solar gardens at five manufacturing locations, including a co-sponsorship with Westar Energy for its first community solar garden near Wichita, Kan., where the company manufactures most of its Hormel® Natural Choice® bacon products. The company also recently announced a virtual power purchase agreement for wind energy. For more information about the company’s environmental stewardship efforts, visit https://csr.hormelfoods.com/.
About Hormel Foods — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin’s®, Wholly Guacamole®, Hormel® Black Label®, Columbus® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens” by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the tenth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ — focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/.
About IGS Solar
IGS Solar, a turn-key commercial and residential solar provider with $200 million of operational solar assets under development, provides businesses, homes, and communities with an opportunity to participate in creating a sustainable energy future with no upfront investment. As an affiliate of IGS Energy, IGS Solar is dedicated to delivering innovative solar energy solutions. For more information, contact William Neverman, Regional Manager, at 626-222-2546 (William.Neverman@igs.com) or visit https://www.igs.com/commercial/solar. Connect with IGS Solar at linkedin.com/company/igs-solar.
About PCI Solar
PCI Solar is a national commercial solar installer, based in Austin, Texas. The company installs rooftop, ground mount, carport solar and energy storage systems for a range of commercial, institutional and utility customers. PCI Solar is part of Performance Contracting Group, a national specialty building contractor with over $1.4 billion in annual revenues. For further information, please call 888-846-8653 or visit https://pcisolar.com/contact/.
Source: Hormel Foods Corporation
