Sainsbury's green credentials boosted by solar investment

Sainsbury's has today boosted its claim to being the greenest supermarket retailer in the UK with the news that the chain has installed more that 69,500 solar panels across it's various locations nationwide.

The company has now claimed top spot among Europe's largest commercial solar generators, boasting 16 millwatts (MW) of solar capacity across 169 of its 572 major UK locations. As a result, the company is responsible for the largest solar array on the continent.

According to reports, the surface covered by the firm's endeavours amounts to 24 football pitches, reducing the supermarket chain's overall carbon footprint by as much as 6,800 tonnes per year.

The move comes as part of the company's 20 by 20 sustainability pledge, which aims to reduce the carbon output of the entire chain by at least 20 per cent by the year 2020. A number of companies have signed up to the scheme, but Sainsbury's has seemingly made the largest investment to date in solar panel technology.

"This solar rollout is another big step forward," said Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King. "It makes sense for us - it's good for the environment and for our business and we are actively looking to install more panels."

As well as exploring the benefits of solar power, the company has partnered with major green suppliers to cut energy costs with solutions such as LED lighting, as revealed earlier this year.

In February, Ireland-based food retail lighting specialist Nualight was announced as the provider for Sainsbury UK's lighting overhaul for it's refrigerated cases.

A major benefit of LED bulbs is that they emit less heat, meaning they interfere less with the atmospherics of such refrigerating facilities as cold rooms and chiller cabinets. With so many units across Sainsbury's UK retail chain, the significant savings that come from switching to LEDs - and estimated 70 per cent for low-temperature cases and 40 per cent for medium-temperature ones - could result in a huge energy saving for the business.