Festo has launched its clean energy project at its North American Regional Service Center in Ohio, United States. Specifically, the roof-mounted solar panels will supply 48% of the facility’s electricity requirements. Accordingly, this is about 2.6 million kilowatt hours (kWh) after completion of the project next year.

One of Ohio’s leading solar power companies, Kokosing Solar Power, Athens, Ohio, is the project’s general contractor.

“Every kilowatt hour of electricity generated by sunlight at the Festo North American Regional Service Center is an additional kilowatt hour added to Duke Energy’s pool of electricity for local consumers and businesses,” said Jose Luis Esparza, Head of Non-Production Material Procurement, Festo North America.

In addition, Esparza said, “The added energy to the grid from this project will be equivalent to the electricity used by 359 homes in a year.”*

Huge CO₂ Reduction

While traditional power plants emit greenhouse gases during electricity generation, photovoltaic panels do not. Thus, the solar panel project at Festo Mason will reduce CO₂ emissions by 1,841 metric tons annually. This CO₂ reduction is equivalent to the carbon sequestration of a 2,000-acre forest.* In addition, there are benefits of cleanly generated electricity include water savings, lower stress on the power grid, and reduced cost of generating and distributing electricity. Solar and wind projects support job growth in the clean energy industry.   

Built in 2015 and expanded several times since then, the Festo Regional Service Center is the North American distribution hub for Festo’s globally manufactured automation products. The facility, which employs 350 people, also assembles custom orders and builds unique products for North American customers. Festo Didactic builds hands-on systems that community colleges utilize to train the next generation of manufacturing and processing technicians.

Contributes to Manufacturing Automation

Festo’s automation technology is so crucial in automotive, food, medicine, and packaged consumer goods plants. For that reason, the company became an essential business during the pandemic. In fact, Festo is one of the top 15 employers in Mason.

Headquartered in Esslingen, Germany, Festo is a family-owned $3.9 billion business employing more than 20,000 people in 60 countries. Festo celebrates its 100th anniversary next year.

Sustainability is firmly anchored in Festo’s corporate strategy. In 2024, the company joined the World Resources Institute Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. Also in 2024, Festo global operations offset 100% of its direct carbon emissions and achieved CO2 neutrality for indirect emissions. Festo plans to generate 25% of its electricity through solar power by 2030. The Mason solar power initiative has been funded by a grant from the Festo family.

*Equivalencies calculated by the Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator.

24 September 2024