You're reading an older article from ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. Some content, such as code-related information, may be outdated. Visit our homepage to view the most up-to-date articles.
Frito-Lay employees dedicated the company’s new solar electric power system that has been installed on the roof of its Arizona service center in Phoenix, the company’s largest distribution center in the United States. The 201-kilowatt system, made up of more than 1,000 Kyocera high-output 200-watt photovoltaic (PV) modules, is the largest business-owned PV system in Arizona. The system will produce roughly 350,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
The PV system on the Arizona service center will supply power directly to Frito-Lay’s electrical loads to meet a portion of the facility’s daytime energy needs.
“By using solar power in our service center, we are harnessing one of Arizona’s natural and powerful assets—the sun,” said Rich Beck, senior vice president, operations, Frito-Lay North America.
The APS Solar Partners Incentive Program funded, in part, the installation. This program offers financial incentives to customers who add photovoltaic solar systems or solar water heaters to their homes or business.
American Solar Electric Inc., a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based PV firm, designed and installed the system. It was engineered to generate year-round energy through elevated, angled panels above the rooftop deck.
Frito-Lay already has installed PV systems in six other distribution centers in California and New York. In 2005, Frito-Lay opened its first Gold LEED-certified green, environmentally friendly distribution center in New York. It is one of 50 Gold LEED-certified buildings in North America. EC
