Lidl to lodge application for solar panels at new Newbridge facility

As part of their “A Better Tomorrow” sustainability programme Lidl announces the largest solar panel installation project in Ireland at their new distribution centre, which is currently under construction in Newbridge, Co. Kildare.
A planning application, which will be lodged in the coming days, seeks permission for 4364 Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of the 54,000 m² distribution centre. If permission is granted the solar panels will produce 1,011,929 kilowatt hours of energy from a sustainable resource annually which is equivalent to meeting the electricity requirements of 240 homes and will reduce the warehouse’s carbon output by some 473 tonnes annually.
Speaking about the solar installation project, Alan Barry, Lidl’s director of property and central services says; “We take our responsibilities in the area of sustainability very seriously and this photovoltaic installation project allows us to continue to reduce our carbon output while also allowing us to save on energy costs, so it’s a win win. We will continue to invest significantly in solar panels across our entire store network in 2019 with €1m already committed for installations at 8 Lidl stores in 2019. Lidl is also delighted to be working with an indigenous Irish firm, Enerpower, in delivering this project.”
In recent years Lidl’s new store concept has had a clear focus on sustainable energy, ensuring that it complies with a best-practice international energy efficiency standard, ISO50001, which is independently audited. Other initiatives include: natural wood materials, high performance glass fronted façade to maximise natural daylight entering the building; sensor controlled exterior sun blinds to reduce unwanted heat from the sun; waste heat recovery ventilation systems and LED lighting; high insulation with external cladding; and lighting sensors to conserve energy where it is not required.

Lidl also recently announced its commitment to the introduction of electric vehicle charging points to all new stores and across all major store refurbishment projects. This announcement means that Lidl will provide the largest network of electric vehicle chargers in the Irish supermarket sector, enabling customers to charge their electric vehicles free of charge whilst they shop.
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Note for editors:
Image of solar panels on Lidl's new Nenagh store included

· Lidl is a member of the Bord Bia Origin Green Programme. Origin Green is a sustainable Development programme, developed for the Irish food industry. To become a member of the programme, Lidl has committed to a five-year sustainable development plan with numerous targets that Lidl reports on each year.

· In 2017, Lidl achieved ISO5001 certification across all stores. Lidl has an ambitious strategy aimed at reducing carbon emissions, minimising energy consumption and improving sustainability. The ISO 50001 standard is a globally recognised energy management system developed to continually improve the energy performance of buildings, optimise their use and reduce their operating costs.

· Lidl’s new concept stores are built using a range of strategies to reduce environmental impact. These include:
Natural wooden glulam roof structure

o High performance glass fronted façade to maximise natural daylight entering the building
o Sensor controlled exterior sun blinds to reduce unwanted heat from the sun
o Waste heat recovery ventilation systems and LED lighting
o High insulation with external cladding
o Lighting sensors to conserve energy where it is not required
o Lidl also provides the Lidl office-based team with electric carpooling vehicles for business trips.