An Post to install solar panels on 30 buildings to power electric vehicles
AN Post is to install solar panels on post offices and delivery centres to power its growing fleet of electric vehicles.
The state mail company issued a tender last week for the supply, installation and maintenance of photovoltaic panels for 30 buildings, including delivery service units, post offices and much larger mail centres.
“We’ve run a very successful solar energy pilot at our Monaghan delivery unit in recent years, covering much of the building’s electricity needs,” said a spokeswoman for the company.
The locations have not been finalised, but are likely to include An Post delivery units in Castlebar, Tralee and Dundalk, where solar energy will help power both the building and electric vehicles, she said.
“It’s a tender process so we can’t talk figures at this stage but it would be a sizeable investment by An Post, demonstrating our commitment to real sustainability in cities and communities and to improving the quality of life now and for generations to come.”
The two-year solar energy project is part of a wider sustainability drive by the company.
Last month, An Post became the first postal service provider in the world to attain zero carbon emission delivery status in a capital city and this will be achieved in Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford by the end of 2020.
The company has already invested €7.5m in a fleet of 212 electric vehicles. This number will exceed 900 within two years, out of a total fleet of 3,400 vehicles.
The company added it was carefully monitoring the situation regarding Covid-19 and was working to ensure the continuity of mail, parcels and post office services over the coming weeks.