United States Cold Storage (USCS), Voorhees, N.J., announced plans to install a 2.7 megawatt ground-based solar array at its Lumberton, N.C., refrigerated warehouse.  

The system will be a ground-mount system on a fixed 30-degree tilt to achieve a balance between high efficiency and low maintenance. 

“This photovoltaic system is part of USCS’ long-term sustainable development strategy. Through continued support from Swire, USCS can further integrate the environmental benefits PV technology provides in both our operations and in the communities in which we do business,” says Michael Lynch, vice president of engineering. 

“We are excited our company chose the Lumberton, N.C., facility for this investment and the part it will play in meeting our overall sustainability goals,” says Jesse Hooks, regional vice president of Mid-Atlantic. “The Lumberton site was chosen due to available acreage and the customer base requires substantial blast freezing demand. This project will provide a long-term source of renewable energy for the next 20 years, allowing USCS to offset the purchase of carbon-based electricity. This is USCS’ second array in the past six years; the first array has performed reliably and confirmed the ability to integrate a PV system into an existing warehouse.”

USCS selected Mangan Renewables, Long Beach, Calif., to assist in the design and installation of the PV system.