The new array sits atop a segment of the company’s warehouse roof and comprises 320 panels, each measuring six feet wide and four feet tall. The array will generate enough electricity to light the company’s warehouse operation in Fond du Lac for the next 30 years.
Mercury launched its first solar project in 2017 with the installation of a 2,000‑panel array at the company’s European headquarters in Petit Rechain, Belgium. That solar array, combined with improved insulation at the location, reduces the amount of electricity the facility draws from the grid by 33%, thus lowering the facility’s utilities costs and enabling substantial use of clean and sustainable energy.
According to Mercury Marine president Chris Drees, the new array in Fond du Lac will contribute toward fulfillment of a goal he announced at the beginning of 2020 to derive 50% of the company’s electricity from renewable sources by the end of 2030.
“These steps will combine with many others over the next 10 years to increase the proportion of energy we will draw from renewable energy sources,” Drees said. “We are committed to our focus on sustainable business practices, including investment in renewable energy and reduction of our carbon footprint. We will continue to elevate our commitment to sustainability across all of our global locations.”
The new solar array in Fond du Lac builds on measures Mercury has already undertaken to manage its energy use responsibly. On Earth Day 2020 (April 22), Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy (FOE) program named Mercury as a winner of its 2020 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award. In granting the award, FOE cited several Mercury initiatives, including modernization of HVAC and lighting systems, containment of compressed‑air systems, optimization of power on/off cycles for equipment and facilities, redirection of manufacturing‑generated heat for multiple purposes and incorporation of natural lighting and passive heating into the design of new facilities.
