Carrefour chooses EDP’s solar project to use green energy in its stores
EDP, a provider of photovoltaic solutions for businesses and part of EDP group, has partnered with Carrefour, an international grocery retail leader. Under the agreement, EDP Energia Polska installed solar panels on the roofs of 13 Carrefour shops in Poland.
Carrefour, one of the main players in the global retail market, with around 14,000 stores and e-commerce platforms in more than 40 countries, has chosen EDP’s solutions, to continue to reduce the company's carbon footprint and to contribute to the Polish transition to cleaner sources of energy. Through this partnership, EDP installed 13 solar systems on the roofs of the Carrefour shops in 5 voivodeships.
The total capacity of the project reached around 650 kWp. This energy is being used to supply the Carrefour stores and allows the company to avoid around 450 tons of CO2 per year that energy produced by fossil fuels would otherwise create, while achieving its sustainable targets. It would take 86 000 adult trees to absorb the same amount of CO2.
The implementation of the project for such a significant player in the market confirms EDP's capabilities to serve both small and medium-sized Polish entrepreneurs as well as multinational corporations. This project was developed by Soon Energy, a company acquired by EDP Energia Polska in 2022 to raise its presence in the Polish solar generation market.
“We are thrilled to witness the escalating commitment of companies in Poland towards projects that promote sustainable business practices. Carrefour's investment is another step towards our mission to support the energy transition of the Polish economy. Our cooperation with Carrefour confirms that energy from the sun is not only good for the environment but is also a profitable solution for all types of businesses” – comments Ireneusz Kulka, Country Manager EDP Energia Polska.
“Implementing its sustainable development strategy, Carrefour Polska takes active measures to permanently reduce electricity consumption in its stores, as well as to adapt equipment to applicable standards and increasingly stringent regulations regarding CO2 emissions. Our long-term goal is also to significantly increase the use of energy from renewable sources” – says Sławomir Gomoliński, Asset Director of Carrefour Polska. “Cooperation with EDP has allowed us to expand our photovoltaic system by another 13 locations and a capacity of nearly 650 kWp. At the end of this year, Carrefour plans to use solar energy in 65 of its hypermarkets and supermarkets, which will generate a total of about 8% of the annual consumption of all our network's own stores in Poland” – adds Sławomir Gomoliński.
Diverse solutions for all types of companies –
While Carrefour decided to invest in its own solar projects, EDP also provides the PV-as-a-Service model, making the investment for the clients who will benefit from solar energy. This model provided by EDP covers the cost of the investment, operation, and maintenance of the solar installation throughout the contract, while the customer pays a monthly fee, benefiting from having lower electricity bills and reducing the environmental impact of its business and energy needs.
More information about how companies can benefit from the sun to decarbonize their processes and lower their energy bills at www.edpenergia.pl.
EDP in Poland
EDP is a global leader in renewable energy and the energy transition, with an installed capacity of over 29 GW worldwide and 9 million electricity and natural gas customers globally. In Poland, EDP entered the market in 2007 through EDP Renewables and expanded its presence in 2020 with EDP Energia Polska. EDP Renewables focuses on developing clean energy and owns 16.5 GW of capacity globally, from which almost 0.8 GW are installed in Poland.
EDP Energia Polska, part of EDP’s Client Solutions global business with an installed capacity of 2 GW of solar energy, specializes in solar solutions for businesses, offering flexible, tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of various clients.
In 2022, EDP strengthened its position by acquiring Soon Energy Poland and Zielona-Energia.com. Since the beginning of its operations, up until December 2023, EDP Energia Polska, together with Soon Energy and Zielona-Energia.com from the time of their acquisition, has contracted 152 MWp in the Polish market, developing subsequent solar projects.