Nestle Purina PetCare unveiled the region's largest private solar panel array at its Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, petfood manufacturing facility.

The 1,900 solar panels, designed and installed by REC Solar, cover more than 70,000 square feet of the rooftop at the petfood manufacturing plant, which the company says will allow it to use Arizona's average of 300 days of sunshine per year to produce emission-free solar electricity.

"The 427-kilowatt solar PV system will produce nearly 12 million kilowatt hours of clean, emission free solar electricity over its lifetime," said Cary Hayes, director of business development for REC Solar. "This production volume offsets over 16 million pounds of greenhouse gases, equivalent to planting more than 40,000 trees."

To celebrate the launch of the new solar array, Nestle Purina donated a combined US$5,000 to two local animal welfare providers, Coconino Humane Association and Second Chance Center for Animals.