UK retail giant John Lewis has completed the installation of a 96.5kWp solar array at its new £15 million store in York.
Local energy firm Think Renewable Energy completed the work on the roof-mounted system. Jamie Warden, operations director at the company predicted that the solar installation will help generate over £17,000 a year in combined benefit from FiT revenue and bill savings, as well as mitigating the release of 34 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Commenting on the completion of the array, Warden added: “Energy costs are one of the biggest overheads for the retail sector and this is helping to drive forward clean energy initiatives, particularly in new build projects.
“Renewable energy initiatives like the one Think Renewable Energy has been involved in with John Lewis at Monks Cross can also help high profile organisations meet their carbon objectives.”
The new 130,000 square foot department store’s 96.5kWp array will be capable of generating 81,000kWh when its doors open in April this year.
John Lewis joins the increasing ranks of UK companies generating electricity from their roofspace with solar PV. The news will also come as a welcome boost to the energy and climate change minister Greg Barker, who has claimed that 2014 will be the year of commercial rooftop solar.