Green Mountain Coffee Heats Up with Solar Power
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. has flipped the switch on its new solar array, using solar energy collected from the roof of its Waterbury, Vt. distribution center to power its facility.
"This solar installation marks a new milestone in our commitment to responsible energy use, one of the primary priorities of our corporate social responsibility program," says Paul Comey, vice president of Environmental Affairs for GMCR. "In addition to generating clean electricity for use in our facility, the array also demonstrates the feasibility of solar panels as a viable solution for producing power in Vermont."
Construction of the 100 kW photovoltaic array was completed in the summer. Now, 572 solar panels in the coffee company's array contribute to Green Mountain Power's goal of helping Vermonters install "10,000 panels in 1,000 days." The installation of GMCR's solar project contributes 25 percent toward this goal.
The solar array dovetails with GMCR's Changing Climate Change program, an enterprise-wide effort focused on reducing and mitigating GMCR's carbon footprint through operational incentives, grantmaking programs, carbon offsets and employee benefits. GMCR was the first company to offer group discounts on solar power systems for employees through groSolar's Employee Green Benefits Program.
"This solar installation marks a new milestone in our commitment to responsible energy use, one of the primary priorities of our corporate social responsibility program," says Paul Comey, vice president of Environmental Affairs for GMCR. "In addition to generating clean electricity for use in our facility, the array also demonstrates the feasibility of solar panels as a viable solution for producing power in Vermont."
Construction of the 100 kW photovoltaic array was completed in the summer. Now, 572 solar panels in the coffee company's array contribute to Green Mountain Power's goal of helping Vermonters install "10,000 panels in 1,000 days." The installation of GMCR's solar project contributes 25 percent toward this goal.
The solar array dovetails with GMCR's Changing Climate Change program, an enterprise-wide effort focused on reducing and mitigating GMCR's carbon footprint through operational incentives, grantmaking programs, carbon offsets and employee benefits. GMCR was the first company to offer group discounts on solar power systems for employees through groSolar's Employee Green Benefits Program.