United States (English)

FedEx Freight and BP Solar Complete Second Solar Power Installation

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FREDERICK, Md., Sept 04, 2008 -- FedEx Corp. (FDX) and BP Solar announced today the completion and activation of a second project together -- a solar system for a FedEx Freight distribution center in Fontana, Calif. The 269 kW (kilowatt) rooftop solar array utilizes BP Solar modules. The first joint system was inaugurated on Earth Day 2008 at FedEx Freight’s facility in Whittier, Calif.


The 1,377 solar modules cover 20,834 sq. ft. on the Fontana facility’s roof and can generate 370,551 kilowatt hours (kWh), or approximately 54 percent of facility needs. The 282kW system in Whittier is capable of producing more than 414,000 kWh of electricity each year, providing almost 40 percent of the facility’s annual energy needs and significantly reducing the service center’s dependence on the electric grid. The two projects are expected to eliminate the release of more than 610 metric tons of greenhouse gas causing emissions.


“The FedEx Freight Fontana solar installation builds on our commitment to integrate energy-efficient and diverse technologies into our facilities and operations,” said Douglas G. Duncan, president and CEO of FedEx Freight. “The use of renewable energy sources, such as solar power and hybrids, is a valuable asset to help us reduce our environmental impact and diversify our energy sources.”


BP Solar’s commercial projects team is focused on assisting corporations, such as FedEx Freight, to lower their energy costs while lessening the impact of their operations on the environment. The company offers a variety of financing options for its business customers including power purchase agreements, leasing and traditional purchase plans.


“BP Solar is proud to help FedEx Freight improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy at its facilities,” said Mary Shields, vice president of global sales and marketing for BP Solar. “More and more companies are finding that solar helps to reduce their emissions and saves them money over the long run, providing carbon-free electricity to meet their growing needs.”


FedEx and BP work together strategically to identify, develop and implement a range of solutions to increase FedEx’s security of energy supply, while improving its environmental performance.


“This is a great example of two leading corporations collaborating to deliver tangible economic and environmental benefits,” said Richard Bartlett, BP vice president of strategic cooperation. “The Fontana solar installation, similar to the solar-powered FedEx facility in Whittier, Calif., launched in April, helps FedEx diversify its energy supply and enhance its environmental performance.”


FedEx is committed to integrating the use of renewable technologies into its operations. FedEx Express built and operates a solar-powered hub in Oakland, Calif., that produces power equivalent to that used by more than 900 homes during the daytime. FedEx will be adding solar to its Cologne, Germany hub when it opens in 2010. FedEx also operates the largest fleet of commercial hybrid trucks in North America, which improve fuel economy by 42 percent, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 30 percent and cut particulate pollution by 96 percent.


About BP Solar


BP Solar is a global company with over 2300 employees. BP Solar designs, manufactures and markets products which use the sun’s energy to generate electricity for a wide range of applications in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. With over 30 years of experience and installations in more than 160 countries, BP Solar is one of the world’s leading solar companies having 228MW annual manufacturing capacity in 2007, plus another 700MW capacity under construction. BP Solar has solar cell and module manufacturing plants in Sydney, Australia; Bangalore, India; Madrid, Spain; and Frederick, Md., USA; and module manufacturing in Xi’an, China. In Frederick it also has casting and wafering facilities. BP Solar invests more than $10m annually in photovoltaic research and development. For more information, please visit www.bpsolar.us or www.bpalternativenergy.com.


About FedEx Freight


Within FedEx Corp., the FedEx Freight Segment had annual revenues of $4.9 billion in fiscal year 2008. With corporate offices in Memphis, Tenn., the Segment includes FedEx Freight, a leading U.S. provider of regional next-day and second-day and extended LTL freight services; FedEx National LTL, a leading U.S. provider of long-haul LTL services; FedEx Freight Canada, an LTL operating company serving most points in Canada; FedEx Custom Critical, North America’s largest time-specific, critical shipment carrier; and Caribbean Transportation Services, the leading provider of airfreight forwarding services between the United States and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit the FedEx web site, fedex.com.


About FedEx Corp.


FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $38 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 290,000 employees and contractors to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.




Notes to Editors


Combined environmental benefits from the Whittier and Fontana solar-energy systems, based on a projected annual reduction of 610 metric tons of CO2 emissions, are equivalent to one of the following*:


  • 112 passenger cars not driven for one year
  • 69,240 gallons of gasoline not burned
  • 1,419 barrels of oil not consumed
  • 80.8 households’ electricity use for one year
  • 15,641 tree seedlings grown for 10 years
  • 4.3 acres of forest preserved from deforestation

* Data is derived from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.


SOURCE BP Solar

http://www.bpsolar.us