Aldi Australia Commits to 100% Renewable Energy

ALDI Soon Fully Powered by Renewable Energy 

Solpod welcomes the news that Aldi will be powered by 100% renewable energy by the end of 2021.  Aldi will install more than 100,000 rooftop solar panels on their shops and distribution centres.  Wind energy will be sourced from two projects in Victoria and NSW.

The 31.6 MW installation of solar on 250 shops and six warehouses will be completed by the end of 2020.  50,000 MWh of renewable electricity will be generated, saving 41,000 t carbon emissions (tCO2e/year).

Aldi’s solar installation will be Australia’s largest commercial and industrial solar roll out. Aldi has been installing solar on their stores since 2015.  An additional 75 stores will have rooftop solar installed by the end of this year.

James Larratt, CEO of Solpod, says: “Aldi has found you can save dollars while saving the environment with solar.  Meeting the aspirations of the community with solar is now mainstream.”

Aldi has also entered into ten-year Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs) with two large scale wind farms; Dundonnell Wind Farm in Western Victoria and the Collector Wind Farm in the NSW Southern Tablelands.

The CEO of Aldi Australia, Tom Daunt, said: “Our commitment to only use renewable electricity is just one of many milestones we will announce as we drive towards our vision of zero carbon emissions.”

ALDI Gains Through Renewables Investment

Aldi is the 64th largest user of electricity in Australia.  The supermarket giant has assumed corporate responsibility for their energy use and have issued a statement on their shift to 100% renewables.  Read about their commitment to renewables here.

Mr Daunt says: “We are proud to have built a reputation for providing customers with high quality products and an affordable shopping experience. As we continue our journey in Australia, we want to reassure our shoppers that how we conduct business is equally important as the value we offer.”

Daniel Baker, ALDI’s Corporate Responsibility Manager, said: “We are taking steps to support the growth of the renewable energy industry in Australia because it’s good for the planet, and it’s good for business, too.”

The Financial Review said that Aldi Australia “has written to its business partners and encouraged them to set science-based emissions targets by the end of 2024.”

Solpod applauds Aldi’s serious and complete commitment to renewables, taking full advantage of solar’s potential and Australia’s abundant sun.  Solpod hopes that the supermarket giant Aldi will be an example to other retailers and supermarkets in adopting solar.

Mr Daunt says that “continued corporate investment in renewables will net cost reductions for us and others in the years to come.”

Rooftop solar delivers energy and cost savings to the customer.  There are products available now that mean more businesses can access these savings.

Solpod’s Innovation in Commercial and Industrial Rooftop Solar

Solpod offers a unique solar rooftop product for commercial and industrial rooftops, warehouses and cool stores.  Solpod designed the world’s first redeployable solar ‘pods’ that are efficient to install and remove. The solar pods are prefabricated in a quality controlled factory in Melbourne and lifted onto rooftops via cranes. Much less time is needed for a Solpod installation compared to standard solar.

Our solar pods are attached to roofs with a non-penetrative roof mounting solution.  The solar pods can be relocated and re-installed if there are roof or building works.  Unlike standard solar, Solpods do not need to be scrapped if a building needs re-development.

Solpod offers businesses the option to rent rooftop solar.  For many businesses, committing to a long-term asset purchase is financially prohibitive.  Solpod’s Rental product means than businesses can install solar on their roofs with flexible terms, starting from only one year.

The rooftop solar arrays can be removed and relocated if a commercial property needs access to the roof for redevelopment.  This was a decisive factor for Highpoint Shopping Centre in choosing Solpod for their rooftop solar.  See this video of Solpod’s solar installation at Highpoint Shopping Centre:

Solpods are Australian Made and manufactured.  To find out more about Solpod’s relocatable and rentable solar solution, call info@solpod.com.au or +03 9089 0753 .