Consumer products company Henkel is using solar to power a testing laboratory in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The lab's washers and dryers, which test Purex dryer sheets, will run off solar panels that provide up to 56,700 kilowatts of electricity a year. Excess power from the solar panels is fed into the rest of the complex, according to a press release.
The project should offset 83,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, Henkel estimates, with 2.9 million pounds of carbon dioxide saved over the duration of the life of the system.
To make the testing lab even more self-sufficient, Henkel is installing a solar thermal water heating system to provide hot water for the washing machines. According to Henkel, the solar water heaters will offset 28,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, while provide 15 million BTUs of energy annually.
The testing labs are part of Henkel's new headquarters building, which opened in March. The 348,000 square foot building was designed to qualify for LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
In addition to Purex, Henkel's products include Dial soap, Renuzit air fresheners and Right Guard anti-perspirant.
View an online photo gallery of the new headquarters building and the solar panels here.
Henkel has been named Germany's most sustainable brand.
From 2002 to 2007, Henkel's energy consumption was cut by 21 percent, water consumption by 15 percent, waste dropped 32 percent, and associated carbon dioxide emissions were down 15 percent, according to a CSR report.
