Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) announced the completion of a 1,170-panel carport solar installation to help power its regional call center in Plymouth, MA. The system is designed to generate enough onsite clean energy - as much as 600,000 kilowatt hours of power annually - to offset more than 95% of the facility's annual energy consumption.
Comcast worked with solar energy company, Sunpower, to install the parking lot-based solar array, also enabling the installation of two dual-port electric vehicle (EV) charging stations beneath the solar panel canopy, with the ability to charge four vehicles simultaneously. The system also provides covered parking spots for employees.
Leading up to the solar system installation, Comcast converted its Plymouth facility to LED lighting, as it has done at numerous New England sites, which eliminated more than 200,000 kilowatt hours of power usage annually at Plymouth.
"Technology, innovation and talent are at the core of everything Comcast does, and generating clean energy on-site at our Plymouth facility demonstrates our commitment to a culture of sustainability to promote a cleaner, healthier environment," said Tracy Pitcher, senior vice president of Comcast's Greater Boston Region.
The Greater Boston Region serves customers throughout eastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
The Plymouth solar project is the latest in an ongoing series of sustainability efforts implemented in Comcast's New England footprint. Other examples include upgrading to high-efficiency equipment and cooling systems in data centers and installation of LED lights and fixtures at dozens of its largest offices and call centers, including Manchester and Hudson locations in New Hampshire as well as Massachusetts facilities in Chelmsford, Malden, and Plymouth. Also, five EV charging station sites have been installed across the area with more planned for 2019, and the company is expanding its use of single-stream recycling and kitchen waste composting.
"Our sustainability efforts also touch the products and experiences we offer our customers," said Pitcher. "We have made it a priority to provide the most innovative services in the home and extend energy efficiency options as an added benefit."
For example, the company's X1 platform enables customers to say "Go Green" into their voice remotes, leading them to a settings menu that launches a power-saving mode to power down the TV box when not in use.