One of the largest retailers in Switzerland, Coop, has adopted ABB solar inverter technology as part of the company’s ambitious target to become carbon neutral by 2023. Solar solutions from ABB, a technology leader in digital industries have helped Coop to reach an energy self-consumption rate of 90 percent.
By strengthening its solar capacity with photovoltaic (PV) installations of 20’000 sqm on 19 stores, Coop aims to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption by 20 percent during 2019. This latest project will also help Coop to meet its other sustainability targets, including halving its CO2 emissions and increasing the proportion of renewable energy it uses to 80 percent, with the overall aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2023.
The installations, located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, near the French border, and the other in Etagnières, in the district of Gros-de-Vaud, include solar panels being installed onto the roof of the two Coop stores and into the façade in Etagnières. The solar inverters from ABB are part of the solution helping the company reach an energy self-sufficiency rate of 90 percent in Etagnières — 20 percentage points higher than the average commercial application.
Adopting solar power has become increasingly important for Coop. To meet its ambitious target for renewable energy, the company decided to use solar energy to power 35 of its facilities including 19 retail stores across the region.
David Guthörl, head of energy in the sustainability unit at Coop, said: “Over the last decade, we have already reduced the average amount of energy we use for cooling in our stores and have made our product ranges and transport systems more sustainable. We were looking to work with our energy partners and use photovoltaics to power more of our stores. This latest investment has taken us one step closer towards our 2023 goal by adopting efficient renewable technologies.”
