Gatorade Plant Draws on Solar Energy
When you think of Gatorade and green, you probably think of that neonish color in the beverage. Maybe something along the lines of what Steelers coach Mike Tomlin got doused with last night. But the sports drink maker is also using solar power at a factory in Arizona to reduce reliance on the electric grid and control costs.
The Arizona Republic reports that Gatorade installed a 500-kilowatt solar system occupying more than an acre and a half on the roof of the distribution center attached to its manufacturing complex in Tolleson. That makes it Arizona’s largest customer-owned solar project. The panels allow Gatorade to save 40 percent on its electric costs for the distribution center.
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Gatorade’s panels will produce about 783,000 kwh per year—enough to power 51 households—and will offset about 392 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, the newspaper reports. The company received a variety of incentives to install the system, including $1.2 million from the Salt River Project utility.
While Arizona has seem some impressive solar installations recently, solar use is still relatively low, the newspaper said. That’s probably because power remains fairly cheap, and businesses don’t want to make the investment it would take to add panels.
Gatorade and parent Pepsi Co. have been adding green buildings at facilities around the country, including opening what was then the largest green food and beverage facility in the world in Virginia 2007. Pepsi Co says it plans to increase such investments when expansions happen.
Photo credit: Sandia National Laboratory
Sounds like the best use for Gatorade yet!
Come on people… It’s over-priced flavored water in a plastic container that will take thousands of years to decompose in the land fill. The bottles are not recycled, they are down cycled.
This is all such a waste of resources and money. Just use a REUSABLE water bottle and pour in the mix.
For the price of one Gatorade bottle you could buy thousands of gallons of fresh, clean water right from your tap at home.
But, if you really want to be bold, don’t use the mix at all. Just drink plain water. Then you wouldn’t have to burn off the 300 calories in each bottle or purchase a treadmill and fat clothes.
Chrisp, I think you’re kind of missing the point. Gatorade is taking 500 kwh off the grid. I grant you your points about their bottles, but would you rather them not attempt this?
I have to agree with LukeH - progress has to start somewhere, so while we can all agree disposable containers should be avoided whenever possible, Gatorade should be applauded for this specific improvement.
Good for them - I hope more companies follow their example!
Every high power consuming manufactory in America soon to come from the Sun Belt! the unused deserts Solar rich parts of America, joined to the bigger markets by bullet-electric freight, then passenger service and the end of the day of the personal motor car for the American culture! Oil reached all time highs today in the marketplace! Oil will outstrip its practicality and be slowly replaced by Solar, Wind, Wave, Hydro, Tidal, and Geo-thermal power for a cleaner America! Nuclear, with Uranium already bought up by vulture capitalists,and in limitable supply, awaits the massive investment by governments, and a profiteering price hikes once our commitment is past the point of no return! America does not meed to be “Shystered” like this! Like oil has done! We cannot afford to fall into this “Supply - Demand, guess who owns your ass! Bull Shiite again! The Sun sets but once a day, the wind blows always, tides ebb and flow, controlled by no-one, and the rivers flow! Geysers spout, as regular menses of Mother Earth, owned by no-one! These natural power sources are ours to exploit, perpetual, and clean, America, Lets do it!