Mercury Marine installs solar panels at headquarters
FOND DU LAC - Mercury Marine has installed its first array of photovoltaic solar panels at its world headquarters campus in Fond du Lac.
The new array sits atop a segment of the company’s warehouse roof and comprises 320 panels, each measuring 6 feet wide by 4 feet tall.
The panels are expected to generate enough electricity to light the company’s warehouse operation for the next 30 years, according to a company press release.
The solar installation will contribute toward a goal of deriving 50% of the company’s electricity from renewable sources by the end of 2030, Mercury Marine President Chris Drees said in the release.
“We are committed to our focus on sustainable business practices, including investment in renewable energy and reduction of our carbon footprint,” Drees said. “We will continue to elevate our commitment to sustainability across all of our global locations.”
Mercury launched its first solar project in 2017 with the installation of a 2,000-panel array at the company’s European headquarters in Petit Rechain, Belgium.
That solar array, combined with improved insulation at the location, reduces the amount of electricity the facility draws from the grid by 33%, thus lowering the facility’s utilities costs and enabling substantial use of clean and sustainable energy.
On Earth Day 2020 Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program named Mercury as a winner of its 2020 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award.
In granting the award, Focus on Energy cited several Mercury initiatives, including modernization of HVAC and lighting systems, containment of compressed-air systems, optimization of power on/off cycles for equipment and facilities, redirection of manufacturing-generated heat for multiple purposes and incorporation of natural lighting and passive heating into the design of new facilities.
Contact Sharon Roznik at 920-9077936 or sroznik@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/reporterroz/