Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery Complete Massive Solar Panel Array to Power Pet Treat Manufacturing Plant
Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery, located in Arrowhead Industrial Park, Harvard, IL, has completed installation of a 200,000 sq. ft. solar panel array, powering 100 percent of the pet food manufacturer’s energy needs.
In 2018, Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery finished construction of their 212,000 sq. ft. facility, supporting the company’s rapid growth as a provider of large and small batch, handcrafted pet treats. During planning, the company committed to continually making improvements to minimize their impact on the environment.
“Switching to a solar energy source is not only substantial for our business, but for our environment as well,” said Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery owner, Kurt Stricker. “Installing these panels is another step in our progress to make our operations more sustainable.”
Stricker said the installation is handcrafted like its food and treats and represents the company’s love for dogs. “It’s a perfect statement about everything that we do and care about,” said Striker, referring to the custom black-on-black-on-black solar modules’ shape of a paw print and dog bone and to the significant reduction in the company’s carbon footprint.
The manufacturer worked with Simpleray to design the 1.703 kW system, built with 4,386 solar modules. The panels produce 2,044,000 kWh of electricity annually, saving energy costs and offsetting 1,456 tons of greenhouse gases. The 51,000,000 kWh produced during the next 25 years is equivalent to 9,00 metric tons of CO2, the power used to charge 1.15 billion smartphones, 22,090,165 miles driven by a passenger vehicle and prevents 50 rail cars of coal from being burned.
“We are excited to have sustainable energy to support our sustainable products and contribute to a clean energy future for our community,” said Stricker.
Installation took three months and was unveiled during National Clean Energy Week in September on approximately 4.5 acres. The original plan called for installing panels on the roof, but was revised in consideration of future expansion.
Pedigree Ovens, The Pound Bakery and PetDine are industry-leading pet consumable manufacturers specializing in all-natural dog food and treats since 1996, baking healthy dog food and treats for leading brands and top-of-the-line private labels for more than 20 years. To learn more, visit The Pound Bakery’s website.