The North Face Announces Plans to Host a 1MW Solar Energy System

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EI Solutions, a leader in smart solar solutions, today announced their partnership with The North Face ®, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, to design, build and install a 1MW solar electricity system at its West Coast distribution center located in Visalia, Calif. Scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, the system will be financed, owned and operated by San Francisco-based Recurrent Energy, the pioneer in Solar as a ServiceSM. 100% of the electricity will be sold to The North Face under a Power Purchase Agreement.

EI Solutions’ innovative design calls for construction of the new system over a storm water retention area located on the property, allowing for its dual use and providing a buffer to adjacent properties. By protecting the retention function of the area, the design negates the need for a new draining system while at the same time providing a clean, noise-free use of the land. Another key feature in the system’s design is the use of RayTracker™ GC single-axis solar trackers, on which 5,445 Suntech photovoltaic (PV) panels will be mounted. By tracking the sun as it moves across the sky, RayTracker will keep the mounted PV panels focused on the sun’s rays, thereby maximizing the amount of energy produced by each panel and increasing the system’s return on investment. The new ground-mounted system will be located adjacent to VF Corporations’ (The North Face’s parent company) 800,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art distribution center.

“We are deeply committed to exploring new and creative solutions for energy reduction,” said Steve Rendle, President, The North Face. “Through our partnership with El Solutions and Recurrent Energy, we have achieved a tremendously innovative design that will yield above-average energy production, emission reduction, and financial savings.”

“The North Face is a company that, along with its commitment to social responsibility and the environment, is well known for its innovative use of technology in its products,” said Andrew Beebe, president or EI Solutions. “We’re excited to work with them, along with Recurrent Energy, to design and build a system that’s not only economical, but also one that incorporates the latest technology and land-use techniques, thus enabling higher efficiency and having a greater overall impact.”

According to national metric data provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, the solar system - owned and operated by Recurrent Energy - is expected to reduce carbon emissions by over 1,300 metric tons annually, which is equivalent to removing close to 250 automobiles from operation for one year or preserving over 11 acres of forest.