Gap Goes Solar at Distribution Center
San Francisco–based Gap, Inc. will install a one-megawatt solar-power system to help run its Fresno, Calif., distribution center.
The retailer said the system should be installed some time next year. When installed, it will generate about 1.9 million kilowatt hours a year, which is enough power to supply 350 homes.
The system will occupy five acres of land adjacent to Gap’s distribution center and will be financed, owned and operated by Baltimore-based MMA Renewable Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Municipal Mortgage & Equity LLC. Gap will buy power from MMA for the next 20 years, shielding the company from rising energy costs.
“This is a key part of our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment and finding better ways to do business,” said Kindley Walsh Lawlor, senior director of strategic planning and environmental affairs for Gap. “The solar installation represents a significant effort to support the development of additional solar capacity in California.”
Developed in part with 3 Phases Energy, MMA Renewable Ventures contracted with Silicon Valley, Calif.–based SunPower for the system design and construction, which will incorporate more than 5,000 panels on a mounted track. The SunPower Tracker system to be used follows the sun across the sky, optimizing efficiency and conversion of sunlight into power and delivering reliable, low-cost electricity throughout the day.
For more information on Gap’s conservation efforts, visit www.gapinc.com/socialresponsibilityreport.—Robert McAllister
