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Retail Business Services is keeping the lights on – and boosting sustainability – with innovative energy solutions for retail and distribution environments. The most recent example is a long-term contract with Constellation, a leading competitive energy and energy solutions provider, that will support the development of new solar projects anticipated to total 80 megawatts in Pennsylvania for The GIANT Company.    

The GIANT Company will receive approximately 155 million kilowatt hours of energy per year from the long-term power purchase agreement, enabling the company to power its Pennsylvania operations including select stores, fuel stations and perishable distribution centers with renewable energy. The deal will help The GIANT Company avoid more than 100,000 metric tons of carbon emissions associated with its energy use annually, the equivalent of taking nearly 24,000 cars off the road, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

"A project like this is new ground for Ahold Delhaize USA companies, so we find it very exciting, and we were proud to partner in bringing this solution to life," said Andrew Fernandez, Director of Energy for Retail Business Services.   
The solar projects, which will be developed by Pine Gate Renewables, are expected to achieve commercial operation between June 2022 and January 2024.  

"Retail Business Services has a science-based target to support Ahold Delhaize USA's grocery retail brands in halving carbon emissions by 2030," said Andrew. "So, finding ways to limit how energy usage contributes to carbon emissions is paramount."   

The just-announced project with The GIANT Company is a large-scale way the five-person Retail Business Services Energy team is providing support. But other smaller-scale projects, such as community solar initiatives with Stop & Shop and Hannaford, also contribute to energy usage and CO2 emissions reductions, as well as cost savings, Andrew says.   

"We always work to help the brands identify the renewable energy solution that's right for them," he said. "In an area like New England, where large parcels of land are few and far between, a community solar program or smaller solar arrays may be much more economical – whereas Pennsylvania really has room for these larger solar projects."  

Part of the Store Development, Leasing and Facilities Support function, the Energy team serves as a strategic partner to Ahold Delhaize USA's local brands, designing and implementing energy projects focused on managing all aspects of energy, reducing energy consumption and partnering closely with Maintenance teams to help brands become more efficient in their operations. The group also works with its broker network to identify opportunities to present to the brands and consults on proposed projects – like The GIANT Company's solar projects – and sees them through from beginning to end in partnership with the brand.   

Another example of the team's work to invest in renewable power sources was a two-phase project that was completed in 2020 at The GIANT Company's corporate headquarters, which includes a 625-kilowatt rooftop solar array and seven-acre, pollinator-friendly solar field – enough to generate renewable power much of the Carlisle campus.    

The team, which oversees a $400 million utilities budget, sources projects like these because they're not only good for the environment, they're good for the budget too – benefits that quickly add up.  

From contract management to reducing energy consumption to investing in renewable energy, Andrew says he and his team work hard to be responsible environmental stewards. And it's a field he loves.   

"I like energy, I like the challenge," Andrew said. "I think energy is one of the most exciting things going on right now, and it's an incredibly meaningful field as we work to reduce energy consumption and protect our planet."