Oct 30 2009
Novartis announced today the completion of the new 1 megawatt (MW) solar array near its Vacaville biopharmaceutical site. The announcement was made at a ceremony which celebrated the collective effort of state and local officials, employees and business partners in championing the approval, construction and completion of the $7 million dollar power plant. The five acre array will supply 20% of the manufacturing facility’s electrical needs.
As the Group’s single largest solar energy investment, the Vacaville array more than triples the total solar power generation by Novartis facilities worldwide. In recognizing this, Robert Pelzer, CEO of Novartis Corporation, said, “Today’s dedication signals our continued commitment to the environment and to initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol, the US EPA Climate Leaders Program and our own US Energy program.”
“Novartis has demonstrated outstanding leadership and teamwork as an active and enthusiastic community partner,” shared City of Vacaville, Mayor Len Augustine, “and together we are once again demonstrating that industry and government working together on common goals can be an effective force in promoting renewable energy and environmental responsibility.”
Made up of over 4,100 photovoltaic panels, the Novartis system eliminates the production of over 1,400 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually. This is the equivalent of removing 257 passenger vehicles from the road or planting 319 acres of new forest per year. The Vacaville power plant joins five other Novartis solar sites, and numerous other renewal energy operations, around the world in supporting the Group’s goal of reducing, by 2012, its greenhouse gas emissions to 5% below its 1990 level.
Initiated in 2006 by employees at the Vacaville site, and introduced as part of a corporate Energy Excellence Award program, the project benefits from Vacaville’s ideal location for solar power generation, having 25% more sunny days than the average American city. A first phase of the project, a 30 kW parking canopy, was completed in December 2008, with the larger 970 kW array becoming operational in mid-September of this year, a full month ahead of schedule.
Joining Robert Pelzer, Mayor Augustine, and Rob Carter, Vacaville Site Head, in the ribbon cutting ceremony were Novartis employees and 4th grade students from Browns Valley Elementary School in Vacaville, who participated in educational activities. As “Solar Champions” for the day, the students were the first to take part in a planned local program by Novartis to educate local youth on the benefits of renewable energy.