Africa’s Biggest Supermarket Chain Is Betting On Solar Power
By Nell Lewis
Despite South Africa averaging more than 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, solar energy generates less than 1% of its electricity. By contrast, the UK produces 4% of its electricity from solar, with considerably less sunshine.
South African supermarket Shoprite sees a missed opportunity.
The chain is the continent’s largest food retailer, with 140,000 employees and more than 2,000 stores across 14 countries. It wants renewable energy to fuel a quarter of its operations in the next five years.
Shoprite already boasts a total of more than 480,000 square feet of solar panels on top of its 21 distribution centers and stores in South Africa and Namibia — an area equivalent to around eight soccer fields.
Photo courtesy of Science in HD.
Source: CNN (link opens in a new window)
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