SPAR continues solar energy investments

SPAR Hungary is committed to continuing its solar power investments and plans to develop further projects that will contribute to reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

Within the SPAR retail network, four supermarkets in Szeged, Pécs, Dorog and Göd are supported by installed solar power systems. Each of these small power generation units has a capacity of 50 kW and together they generate 230-240 MWh of electricity per year, covering 12-13% of the total consumption of the respective store.

“The first solar power system was installed at our ‘Csillag tér’ store in Szeged in May 2020, followed by the Pécs unit in 2022 and the Dorog unit in 2022, while this year our store in Göd was partially converted to this environmentally-friendly operation. In the case of future investments, we also adhere to the principle of using solar energy, wherever possible, for the operation of our stores, so we are also planning our future developments along these lines,” said Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary. He explained that the use of photovoltaic energy is an important cornerstone of the company’s energy-conscious efforts, also kept in mind for new investments and the renovation of existing store units. “In all our construction and modernisation projects throughout the recent years, we have sought to install state-of-the-art LED lighting, heat-pump cooling and heating systems, and where possible use the so-called waste heat generated during operations, for example to produce hot water,” he stressed.

In the interiors of the modernised SPAR stores, energy-efficient commercial refrigeration systems and door-mounted coolers help to conserve even more electricity, while the building façade insulations also bring further savings in energy consumption. When shops are renovated, windows and doors are also almost always replaced. All these factors together contributed in 2022 to the domestic chain having to purchase less natural gas, district heating and electricity from external sources than in the previous year, 2021, and the overall energy consumption was also significantly lower than in the previous period.