Solar Installation at Perdue to be One of East Coast's Largest

Perdue has entered into a 15-year agreement with Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGES) to purchase electricity generated by the solar panels at guaranteed prices. 

By September 2011, Standard Solar Inc. of Rockville, Md. will install the ground-mounted solar panels, covering the equivalent of approximately 10 football fields, on Perdue property. Almost half will be at the Perdue corporate offices in Salisbury and will be visible to passers-by on westbound U.S. Route 50. The others will be at the company’s feed mill in Bridgeville, Del. 

The systems, which will be owned and operated by WGES, will generate an average of 3,700 megawatt hours of electricity each year, or the amount of power used by 340 typical U.S. homes.  At peak production, the panels will produce as much as 90 percent of the electrical demand for each facility. 

“Stewardship is one of our company’s core values, so this is a perfect fit for the way we do business,” said Steve Schwalb, Perdue’s Vice President of Environmental Sustainability. “Using solar power means we’ll have a clean energy source that doesn’t pollute or create greenhouse gases, while lowering Perdue’s energy costs over the life of the project.” 

Schwalb estimated the clean electricity from the solar panels will reduce Perdue’s carbon footprint by 3,000 tons per year, the equivalent of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from 300,000 gallons of gasoline per year, or nearly 4.5 million gallons through the life of the contract. 

The agreement is Perdue’s latest step in its commitment to being environmentally friendly. Last year, Perdue announced a renovation of its corporate office that is expected to earn a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating for environmental leadership from the U.S. Green Building Council. Three years ago, Perdue signed a first-in-the-industry Clean Waters Environmental Initiative with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help poultry growers adopt best pollution prevention practices. Ten years ago, Perdue built the nation’s first commercial poultry litter processing plant, the only process that is verifiably removing excess nutrients from the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

“By hosting this project, Perdue is also helping both Maryland and Delaware achieve their statewide solar energy goals,” said Harry Warren, president of WGES of Herndon, Va. “The Maryland and Delaware Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards Acts call for a growing contribution from solar energy each year through at least 2022, and Perdue’s project will contribute significantly to Maryland’s and Delaware’s total solar power production goals for 2012 and beyond.”

“We applaud Perdue for taking such a significant step toward energy independence and are pleased to be part of one of the largest solar installations on the East Coast,” said Scott Wiater, President of Standard Solar.

About Perdue

The Perdue Family of Companies includes Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, family-owned companies dedicated to becoming the most-trusted names in food and agricultural products. The PERDUE® brand is the number-one brand of fresh chicken in the eastern United States, and Perdue Farms offers a growing roster of quality food products for consumers and foodservice. Perdue AgriBusiness ranks among the top US grain companies and is a leading processor, merchandiser and exporter of agricultural commodities. Privately held and family-run for three generations, the two companies employ more than 21,000 associates dedicated to enhancing the quality of life through innovative food and agricultural products. For more information, visit www.perdue.com®.

About Washington Gas Energy Services

Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. is one of the largest competitive providers of electricity and natural gas in the mid-Atlantic region and supplies over 315,000 customers in Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Headquartered in Herndon, Va., Washington Gas Energy Services is an affiliate of Washington Gas and a subsidiary of WGL Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:WGL). For more information, visit www.wges.com, or contact Leah Gibbons at 703-973-7565 (office), 301-509-1508 (cell), or lgibbons@wges.com.

About Standard Solar

Standard Solar, Inc. is a leader in the full-service development, construction, integration, financing and installation of solar electric systems. Since 2004, Standard Solar has been the partner of choice to make solar energy financially accessible, helping customers through financing options, including Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and navigating expanded federal and state and local tax credits. Ranked the 73rd Fastest Growing Private Company in America in 2010 by Inc. magazine, and the highest-ranking renewable energy company on the list, Standard Solar is headquartered in Rockville, Md. For more information, please visit www.standardsolar.com, or contact Keira Shein at WilkinsonShein Communications at 410-363-9494, or keira@wilkinsonshein.com.