Croda International Plc, the name behind high-performance ingredients and technologies that are relied on by industries and consumers everywhere, has donated 1,000 SunPower solar panels to three non-profit organisations for use in low-income housing and crop generation.
Croda relocated their North American Headquarters and Innovation Centre from Edison, NJ, to Plainsboro, NJ, in January of 2020. The Edison facility was equipped with solar panels, which could not be utilized at the new Plainsboro site; therefore, Croda partnered with Decom Solar to donate the panels to three non-profit organisations.
Decom Solar was founded in 2020 after its founders recognised a glaring need in the renewable industry to decommission and repurpose end-of-life solar arrays properly.
Working with non-profits and recycling partners, Decom Solar provides turnkey photovoltaic decommissioning services and determines the optimal removal solution for each client. Their expertise in solar construction, permitting, and local codes have positioned them as early leaders in the solar decommissioning sector.
With the help of Decom Solar, Croda donated 1,000 305W (watt) SunPower modules for a total of 305,000W or 305kW (kilowatt) of power and 1 Satcon Power Gate Plus 375kW Central Inverter.
These modules are estimated to still produce up to 335,843 Kilowatt hours per year, which is equivalent to saving 263,187lbs of coal burned, enough to power 28.7 homes per year or preserve 292 acres of US forests in one year.
Given the large number of solar modules donated by Croda, multiple non-profit organisations could receive their donation.
“Once we became aware the solar panels could not be utilised at our new site, finding organisations that could benefit from the panels long term was essential,” explains David Shannon, President of Consumer Care at Croda Inc.
The three organisations are listed below:
- The Jackson Resource Center, located in Jackson, Mississippi, raises funds and awareness for the local homeless population. They strive for a community filled with a thriving, well-equipped, well-networked, and well-resourced ministry that spiritually and economically transforms under-resourced communities. The Jackson Resource Center is currently storing all the remaining modules prior to distribution
- The Mileston Cooperative Association, set by the Farmers Security Administration (FSA) in 1942, is located in Holmes County, Missouri. Mileston aims to create opportunities for the communities via large scale vegetable production. They are currently working on using the donated modules to power a hydroponics system
- Kinead Housing Foundation is a non-profit housing group based out of Jackson, Mississippi, supporting and developing affordable low-income multifamily housing. Kinead is currently in the process of allocating panels for these homes.
This donation truly reflects Croda’s values of assisting communities whenever possible and supporting Croda’s commitment to being Climate, Land, and People positive by 2030. Croda is eager to see the opportunities and continued benefits the donated solar modules will create for these organisations.
