Amazon have vast warehouses spread across the UK and now plan to make use of their roofs to deploy Solar systems to reduce their carbon footprint. This is part of their worldwide goal to deploy solar systems on 50 customer fulfilment centres globally by 2020. This means the UK will get 20% of the global deployment, expected to produce an installed capacity of 20 megawatts.
Amazon expects the solar panels to generate the equivalent amount of electricity required to power over 4,500 UK homes and will reduce its carbon footprint by 6,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. The solar systems will be developed and funded by Macquarie Principal Finance.
Amazon has also signed a deal for 100% renewable electricity to power its UK buildings. The electricity will be fully backed by Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin certificates (REGOs) and means the energy it buys for its fulfilment centres and other buildings will have been generated from renewable sources such as solar or wind.
Amazon will install also battery systems at a number of its fulfilment centres to participate in energy demand management, frequency control, and load management programs in coordination with local distribution network operations and the National Grid. At those sites, the batteries will be charged at times of low demand (for example, overnight) and use it to power its buildings when commercial and consumer use is highest. This helps ensure that the grid can meet customer energy demands at peak times.
“As our fulfilment network continues to expand, we want to help generate more renewable energy at both existing and new facilities around the world in partnership with community and business leaders. We are putting our scale and inventive culture to work on sustainability, which is good for the environment, our business, our customers, and the communities in which we operate. By diversifying our energy portfolio, we can keep business costs low and pass along further savings to customers.”
– Stefano Perego, Operations Director, Amazon UK
