REC Solar, a leading nationwide solar independent power producer (IPP), has contracted with cold storage solutions and logistics company Arctic Cold on a 3.3MW rooftop solar system at Arctic Cold’s new Santa Maria, California location.

The Santa Maria facility primarily provides cold storage for fresh and frozen fruits distributed to regional food service providers, big-box retailers, and more. The solar system, mounted on ballast, will offset roughly 83% of the facility’s energy needs and avoid an estimated 2,953 metric tons of CO2 annually.

Arctic Cold anticipates first-year energy savings of $850,000, with a power purchase agreement (PPA) structure protecting against future energy price increases. In addition to the energy savings, the introduction of clean energy at Arctic Cold’s cold storage site contributes to a lower carbon footprint across the broader food supply chain in California and beyond.

With growth in mind, this site has also been designed to accommodate future integration of a battery energy storage system (BESS). Arctic Cold is also maintaining renewable energy credits (RECs). In all, these strategic initiatives will enable Arctic Cold to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification for the Santa Maria facility.

By engaging with REC Solar as an IPP, Arctic Cold will benefit from immediate savings with no capital investment or responsibility for designing, building, operating, or maintaining the system. This flexible structure ensures that Arctic Cold can allocate resources toward its operations while still reaping the benefits of predictable, long-term energy costs.

“Arctic Cold has a unique history of long-term leadership and experience in the cold storage industry and our investment into sustainable facilities speaks to our commitment to future-proofing our business,” said Tim Dayton, Arctic Cold president and CEO. “As we continue our efforts to build new, state-of-the-art facilities, keeping energy costs low and guarding against future volatility will be critical. Partnering with REC Solar will help us identify creative, long-term solutions for Arctic Cold and its customers.”

About REC Solar
Founded in 1997, REC Solar is a leading independent power producer (IPP) with nearly 30 years of expertise delivering, financing, owning and operating distributed energy assets nationwide. With 290+ MW under ownership, REC Solar provides end-to-end services – from engineering design and PPA financing to long-term ownership and operations. Backed by a decades-long track record of execution, REC Solar delivers the value, optimization and certainty organizations need to achieve their energy goals.  

About Arctic Cold
Arctic Cold is a leader in storage and distribution and provides premier temperature-controlled warehousing, blast freezing, and cross-docking services to customers across the U.S. With decades of experience handling everything from frozen to fresh commodities, state-of-the-art technology and a commitment to excellence, we ensure your products are handled with precision and efficiency from receipt to delivery, setting a new standard in cold storage solutions.