15 Best Price Modern Wholesale stores across 5 states to have rooftop PV plants for solar energy
· Once completed, these plants over their lifetime will help in saving 172,000 MT CO2 which is equivalent to planting 215,000 trees
April 22 2016, 17.22 PM IST || Pocket News Alert
Chandigarh, 22 April, 2016: In its commitment to strengthen the use of renewable energy and reduce carbon footprint, Walmart India and Amplus Energy Solutions today announced a partnership for green energy. The companies signing a Power Purchase Agreement for 15 Best Price Modern Wholesale Stores located across five states – Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.
The total capacity that will be provided using rooftop PV plants located at these stores is approximately 5 MW. Once completed, these plants over their lifetime will help in saving 172,000 MT CO2, which is equivalent to planting 215,000 trees.
Making the announcement, Krish Iyer, President & CEO, Walmart India, said, “``For Walmart, leading on social and environmental issues is a “whole company” undertaking that we pursue in collaboration with customers, suppliers, nonprofit organizations and governments around the world. For us, it’s more than just a matter of philanthropy. It’s woven into our day-to-day business activities.In India too, we have set clear goals in energy efficiency and are on track to meet those. We have pledged to meet 50 percent of our energy needs through renewable energy and this partnership is testimony to the commitment. Using solar energy will help us reduce carbon emissions and at the same time help us save costs, the benefit of which could be passed on to our customers. We are pleased to partner with Amplus, an expert and leader in the distribution of solar industry to help us achieve these objectives.”
He added, ``We have recently retrofitted our lighting systems in all stores and replaced conventional tubes with LED. This has reduced the stores’ electricity demand on lighting by 50 percent. By introducing new schemes and prototypes, we are aiming to bring in energy efficiency of more than 15 – 20 percent in HVAC/refrigeration systems in all our upcoming stores. As refrigeration consumes a bulk of the energy need, we plan to retrofit our refrigeration systems with modern and advanced controls to achieve maximum efficiency. Besides, as per the energy management program, we have started monitoring and tracking the energy consumption in all existing stores so as to constantly be on track to achieve efficiencies close to or better than the industry benchmark in India. We are also proud of the fact that all our 21 Best Price stores are zero-discharge units and use 100 percent treated water.”
Sanjeev Aggarwal, Managing Director & CEO at Amplus, noted “We are delighted to be to be associated with a leading company and brand like Walmart. Walmart is a leader in adopting sustainable energy across the world and has a very knowledgeable team for this initiative. and they follow a very rigorous selection process. We are committed to delivering quality projects as per our agreed timeframe with Walmart.”
About Walmart India:
Wal-Mart India Private Limited is the wholly owned subsidiary of Walmart Stores Inc., the world’s leading retailer renowned for its efficiency and expertise in logistics, supply chain management and sourcing. Walmart India owns and operates 21 Best Price Modern Wholesale stores in 9 States. Walmart India launched its B2B e-commerce platform in July 2014 and has extended it to all 21 Best Price stores. The mission of Best Price is ``Enabling businesses to prosper…every single member”. To enter and purchase from Best Price stores, it is mandatory to become a member. Members can belong to business categories such as Resellers (‘Kirana Stores’); Offices and Institutions; and Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers. The stores offer an assortment of around 5,000 food and non-food items.
About Amplus Energy:
Amplus Energy, a leader in rooftop solar in India, owns and operates a portfolio of operational and under construction plants totaling 25 MW+ serving more than 20 customers at more than 50 locations. Amplus is scheduled to soon commission a 4 MW plant, India’s largest rooftop plant for captive consumption at a single location, for an international automobile major.I Squared Capital, a $3 billion private equity fund based out of New York, is a major investor in Amplus. Amplus Energy is managed by a team of professionals with varied experience across Indian and Multinational organizations.