Kikkoman Soy Sauce Factory Goes Solar
Kikkoman Foods Inc. plans to start tapping into the power of the sun this month with the completion of a carport-mounted 106kW solar photovoltaic system at the company's soy sauce factory in California's Central Valley. Read More
Kikkoman Foods Inc. plans to start tapping into the power of the sun this month with the completion of a carport-mounted 106kW solar photovoltaic system at the company’s soy sauce factory in California’s Central Valley.
The array at Kikkoman’s plant in Folsom is made up of 576 lead-free solder, 185-watt Mitsubishi Electric solar modules.
The system is expected to generate 150,000kWh annually, and any electricity not used for production at the plant is to be sold back to the grid, according to Kikkoman.
Carport solar power systems are becoming increasingly popular. They are often less expensive and less complex than rooftop systems. They also are easier to access for installation and maintenance. And they are highly visible examples of environmental investment — an important consideration for many companies.
Other projects in the works include a 2.9 MW solar power system at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System campus in Tucson, which will be installed by REC Solar Inc. and is scheduled for completion in 2011.
PermaCity Solar is scheduled to soon complete construction on a 432.5 kW PV system that will canopy new carports at the Cathay Bank Corporate Center in El Monte, Calif.
Earlier this summer, News Corporation’s Dow Jones headquarters in Princeton, NJ, broke ground on a solar carport project.
Other environmental efforts by the Kikkoman factory in Folsom include recycling and waste reduction — work that has garnered nine honors from the California Waste Reduction Awards Program — and improvements in water conservation and energy efficiency. The plant has been recognized by the Sacramento Sustainable Business Awards program five times.
Image CC licensed by Flickr user richardmasoner .
