Lineage Logistics in Novi, one of the largest temperature-controlled industrial REIT and logistics solutions providers in the world, has announced the installation of clean energy advancements at its facility in Colton, Calif. to establish the first facility in the Lineage network to generate 100 percent of its energy consumption.
“Lineage always strives to be responsible leaders in the communities where we live and work, and our commitment to advancing the future of renewable energy at our locations is no exception,” says Chris Thurston, head of renewable energy projects for Lineage.
“Lineage is already a model for the industry with our innovative development and deployment of industry-leading technologies. Responsibly creating our own energy is an important sustainability milestone, and I am excited to see how this achievement further inspires our commitment to carbon neutrality by 2040.”
Following President Joe Biden’s announcement on Oct. 13 to invest in a secure and sustainable supply chain in the U.S., Lineage installed a 3.3-megawatt solar array and 460 kilowatts of linear generators to the Colton Agua Mansa in California’s Inland Empire. Combined, they will produce 100 percent of the facility’s energy on a net basis.
Lineage partnered with PowerFlex, a national provider of renewable energy infrastructure in San Diego, to install the rooftop solar array, which is the second largest in the company’s network of temperature-controlled warehouses.
The facility has 8,426 individual solar panels that will generate an estimated 5.4 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually. The Colton array is one of several onsite solar installations that PowerFlex is supporting across Lineage’s distribution centers in the United States.
“As Lineage’s long-term partner in renewable energy, we are incredibly proud to share and help execute their bold vision for impactful solar solutions across their extensive network,” says Danny Ptak director of PowerFlex. “The onsite solar project in Colton demonstrates Lineage’s ongoing commitment to deploying innovative solutions to ensure that its operations are as sustainable as humanly possible.”
The onsite linear generators are a new technology launched in March by Mainspring Energy in Menlo Park, Calif. and create electricity using a low-temperature reaction to fuel and air. Distinct from an engine or fuel cell, a linear generator directly converts motion into electricity using chemical or thermal energy.
Lineage says Colton location is the first facility in the world with two linear generators, and the first of its kind to integrate a linear generator with solar panels. The two generators were installed in October.
In Related News: Lineage announced it has signed onto The Climate Pledge and committed to net-zero carbon emissions across business operations by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Climate Pledge, co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism, is a cross-sector community of more than 200 companies working together to encourage corporate action and address the climate crisis. By signing the pledge, Lineage reinforces its commitment to sustainability and has agreed to:
- Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis.
- Implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business change and innovation, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies.
- Take actions to neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.
“Lineage is deeply committed to sustainable operations, and we look forward to joining other forward-looking signatories of The Climate Pledge to work towards its important mission,” says Greg Lehmkuhl, president and CEO of Lineage.
“Building off of our demonstrated achievements in this space – and with continued emphasis on innovation in logistics optimization, refrigeration system efficiency and renewable energy technologies – I am confident in Lineage’s ability to lead our industry’s charge on decarbonization and encourage others to reduce their impact on our climate.”
Lineage has already begun implementing initiatives across its network to reduce its carbon footprint. It previously committed to decreasing its energy intensity by 25 percent over 10 years starting in 2015 and met the target in just two years. Additionally, Lineage has committed to installing 85 megawatts of onsite solar energy capacity by 2025.
