Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery has completed installation of a massive 200,000-square-foot solar panel array that will produce enough energy to power 100% of the pet food manufacturer’s yearly energy needs. The company’s manufacturing facilities are located in Arrowhead Industrial Park, in Harvard, Illinois.
In 2018, Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery finished construction of its new 212,000-square-foot facility to support the company’s rapid growth as a provider of large and small batch, handcrafted treats for pets. In planning the construction, the company committed to and continually makes 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 solar panels is another step in our progress to make our operations more sustainable.”
Calling the project “pawesome”, Stricker said the solar installation is just as handcrafted as its food and treats and aptly represents the company’s love for dogs.
“It’s a perfect statement about everything that we do and care about,” said Striker, referring partly to the custom black-on-black-on-black solar modules’ array, which is in the shape of a paw print and dog bone, and partly to the significant reduction in the company’s carbon footprint.
The manufacturer worked with Simpleray to design the solar power installation, which is comprised of a 1.703 kW system built with 4,386 solar modules. The solar panels will produce over 2,044,000 kWh of electricity annually, saving on energy costs and offsetting 1,456 tons of greenhouse gases. The total 51,000,000 kWh produced over the next 25 years is the equivalent of 9,00 metric tons of CO2, the power used to charge 1.15 billion smartphones, 22,090,165 miles being 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 local community,” said Stricker.
Installation took three months to complete and was unveiled just in time for National Clean Energy Week (9/21-25) on approximately 4.5 acres of the company’s grounds. 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. For over twenty years, the company has been baking healthy dog food and treats for leading brands and top-of-the-line private labels.
To learn more about Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery, visit www.thepoundbakery.com.
