Nowra Woolworths rolls out major solar installation

The 100kW solar array on the roof is made up of 270 high efficiency solar panels spanning around 460 square metres.

The system has the capacity to generate more than 132 megawatt hours of electricity each year - the equivalent to more than 20 Australian households' annual energy consumption.

The Nowra store is one of more than 150 Woolworths Group sites now generating energy from solar power across Australia.

Solar panels installed across Woolworths Supermarkets help offset, on average, 13 per cent of the store's energy consumption and is another step towards Woolworths Group's efforts to cut total emissions by 63 per cent by 2030.

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Woolworths Nowra Store Manager Nathan Rawlings said he is pleased the store is "doing our bit for the planet".

"From store lighting and air-conditioning to food refrigeration and preparation, there is no doubt supermarkets are energy intensive to run," he said.

"In recent years we've been working to run our stores more sustainably, and energy use is a big part of the effort.

"We're investing in more efficient refrigeration and lighting systems, and harnessing the power of renewables across the network too.

"It will not only reduce the store's environmental footprint, but also help keep costs down so we can continue offering the best possible prices to our customers."

Energy expert and Australian Coordinator of the RE100 renewable energy initiative Jon Dee added that Woolworths is making a real difference in Nowra.

"With the rollout of solar panels in Nowra, Woolworths is setting a great example for other businesses to follow. This installation will help the environment and reduce energy bills at the same time," he said.

"Woolworths stores use 1 per cent of Australia's electricity and by 2025 all of that electricity will come from renewable energy sources. It's wonderful to see Woolworths Nowra helping to bring about that national change."

Energy efficient LED lighting has now been installed across more than 800 Woolworths supermarkets, which has reduced energy consumption in each store by around 10-15 per cent.

A third of Woolworths supermarkets also have hybrid or HFC-free refrigeration systems, which use natural refrigerants opposed to synthetic refrigerants to reduce direct carbon emissions from refrigeration units to almost zero.

Solar panels across Woolworths supermarkets generate more than 16,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually.

This is the equivalent of more than 2,600 Australian households' annual energy consumption.

In total, Woolworths' sustainability investments have helped deliver a 24 per cent reduction in carbon emissions on 2015 levels.

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