Finland's K Group has announced that it has installed wall-mounted solar panels in K-Supermarket Hertta in Helsinki.
During winters, solar panels placed on walls are a perfect solution for stores, offices, and public buildings as the sun shines very low in northern latitudes.
Matti Kalervo, K Group’s vice-president of corporate responsibility, explained, "Production is especially high on late winter days when the snow on the ground reflects the sun. The fact that snow does not pile up on wall panels the same way it does on roof panels is another advantage."
The retailer has installed around 140 solar panels on the facade of the building, which is expected to generate 30 MWh of power annually.
The store uses 100% renewable electricity provided by Kesko to meet additional energy requirements.
Other Initiatives
The retail giant is also constructing solar power plants in K-Citymarket Rauma, K-Citymarket Mäntsälä, and K-Citymarket Rusko.
K-Supermarket Hanko is scheduled to complete the construction of its solar power project this month, K Group added.
"We have made the decision to have solar power plants installed at all new major stores we build. We will use the experiences gained from K-Supermarket Hertta to map out possibilities for utilising wall panels also in our other stores," Kalervo added.
Since 2017, K Group has been purchasing renewable electricity for K-stores and other Kesko properties.
It is one of the biggest producers of solar power in Finland with 32 solar power plants.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
