Sweetwater Announces Plans for Solar Panel Investment

In anticipation of the worldwide celebration of Earth Day, Sweetwater is announcing plans to install more than 93,000 square feet of solar panels on top of its distribution center. That's the size of more than two football fields.

The distribution center is located on Sweetwater's campus at 5501 U.S. 30 West in Fort Wayne and became operational in 2020.

The system is expected to generate 1.7 million kilowatt hours per year. It will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1.5 million pounds, which is the equivalent of nearly 79,000 gallons of gasoline.

"Our commitment to sustainability started when the company was founded in 1979," said CEO John Hopkins. "We are proud to be a 21st century LEED-certified building and we continually make improvements in air quality, lighting, recycling efforts, and water conservation in an effort to be a good steward of the environment."

Sweetwater's building was one of the first in the region to be recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council, leading the way in combining state-of-the-art technology, rapid-renewal materials, and recycling both during construction and in day-to-day operations.

"When we built the distribution center, we installed heavier metal trusses on the roof in anticipation of adding solar panels at a future date," said Sweetwater Senior Director of Campus Facilities and Maintenance Matt Knipstein. "Now is the right time for us to make this significant investment and do our part in creating a more sustainable future."

Installation of the new solar panels is currently underway, and they are expected to be fully functional late this summer.

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