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Campbell Soup Company, in partnership with BNB Renewable Energy Holdings (BNB), SunPower, and ORIX USA, broke ground on a 4.4MW solar power project at the company’s World Headquarters in Camden, N.J. Scheduled to come online in fall 2017, the system will provide energy to Campbell through a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) and generate more than 5 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. Upon completion, the solar array will become the largest in the city of Camden.
The project, developed by BNB, will feature SunPower’s innovative rooftop, carport and ground-mount solar solutions, which are designed to optimize power production for commercial customers like Campbell.
At Campbell’s 38-acre World Headquarters campus, 2.7MW will be installed on the rooftops of existing structures and on new solar canopies that will be erected in the parking lots. An additional 1.7MW will be installed on an adjacent 4.5-acre remediated brownfield that BNB purchased specifically for the project, making use of otherwise unusable land and increasing the capacity of the system.
Under the 20-year PPA, Campbell will buy electricity generated by the solar project at a predetermined rate. The fixed PPA rate, which is currently lower than the cost of traditional electricity for Campbell, provides the company with long-term visibility for this portion of its electricity costs.
The system in Camden will be the third solar project that BNB has developed for Campbell, following the 9.8MW system at Campbell’s facility in Napoleon, Ohio, and the 1MW system at Campbell’s Pepperidge Farm bakery in Bloomfield, Conn. Both of those projects also use SunPower’s high-efficiency solar panels.
“We’re excited to partner once again with BNB and SunPower to add a third solar array to Campbell’s U.S. footprint,” said Jim Prunesti, Vice President, Global Engineering, Campbell. “This project contributes clean energy to the local grid and demonstrates to our community the viability of renewable energy sources, all while supporting Campbell’s sustainability strategy to deliver long-term value to our business and neighborhoods.”
BNB and ORIX USA, a diversified financial company with a strong commitment to renewables, will jointly own the project. The term debt is being financed through PSE&G's Solar Loan Program.
“Bringing a cost-saving solar system to Campbell’s World Headquarters marks a great moment, and we see a bright future for other Fortune 500 companies who follow Campbell’s lead and turn to renewable energy to stabilize energy costs and reap rewards from the sun,” said Matthew Baird, managing partner of BNB. “We are most proud of our collaborative work with Campbell, SunPower, ORIX, and PSE&G to make this project a reality.”
The project will also feature five electric vehicle-charging stations, provided by PSE&G via its EV Workplace Charging Program, for use by Campbell employees.
“It’s an honor that Campbell and BNB have chosen SunPower once again as a solar partner for this project,” said Nam Nguyen, SunPower executive vice president. “We look forward to delivering the highest quality experience through our innovative solutions.”