Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has completed a 950-panel, ground-mounted solar installation to help power its Northeast Division headquarters office in Manchester, NH. Comcast worked with solar energy company Sunpower to install the parking lot-based solar array, which is designed to generate as much as 500,000 kilowatt hours of power annually, or the equivalent of 40 homes' worth of electricity. The project also enabled the installation of two dual-port electric vehicle (EV) charging stations beneath the solar panel canopy, with the ability to charge four vehicles simultaneously. The system also provides covered parking spots for employees.
"Technology, innovation and talent are at the core of everything Comcast does, and generating clean energy on site at our Manchester facility demonstrates our commitment to a culture of sustainability and a way to empower our employees to foster a cleaner, healthier environment," said Kevin Casey, president of Comcast's Northeast Division.
The Northeast Division serves customers across 14 states from Maine through Virginia and the District of Columbia.
The Manchester solar project is the latest in an ongoing series of sustainability efforts the Northeast Division has implemented. Other examples include upgrading to high-efficiency equipment and cooling systems in data centers and installation of LED lights and fixtures at dozens of its largest offices and call centers including Manchester and Hudson locations in New Hampshire as well as Massachusetts facilities in Chelmsford, Malden, and Plymouth. Also, nine EV charging station sites will be completed across the Division in 2018, and the company is expanding its use of single-stream recycling and kitchen waste composting.
"Our sustainability efforts also touch the products and experiences we offer our customers," said Casey. "We have made it a priority to provide the most innovative services in the home and extend energy efficiency options as an added benefit."
For example, the company's X1 platform enables customers to say "Go Green" into their voice remotes, leading them to a settings menu that enables a power-saving mode to power down the TV box when not in use.
Sustainability has also guided digital services like the Xfinity My Account app, which can eliminate an unnecessary technician visit, and EcoBill, which lets customers view and pay their bills online from the app or the Web portal.