A new solar installation at the corporate headquarters of Mars Snackfood U.S. will provide up 20 percent of the plant's energy during peak operating hours.
The plant, in Hackettstown, N.J., features 28,000 solar panels and is the largest solar installation at a New Jersey food processing facility, according to FoodProcessing.com.
The installation, which will provide up to two megawatts of electricity when completed in October, will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 1,000 metric tons.
The solar installation is part of a power purchase agreement (PPA) between Mars and PSEG Solar Source, which will own and maintain the panels.
Other environmental initiatives at the food processing plant include reducing waste sent to landfills, recycling of packaging and raw material byproducts and a lighting retrofit project to further reduce electricity consumption, according to a press release.
