100 Solar ALDI Stores in 100 Business Days

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Media Release – Epho Pty Ltd

100 solar ALDI stores in 100 business days

  • 200 - Total number of ALDI with Epho solar systems

  • 75,000 - total number solar panels installed

  • 24 megawatt – capacity of solar power installed equivalent to a utility-scale solar farm

  • 6,000 - equivalent homes powered by solar energy

  • 27,000 - tonnes of carbon dioxide offset per year

  • 100 stores in 100 business days in the latest solar rollout phase

Epho Commercial Solar is in the final phase of completing Australia’s largest commercial and industrial rollout of on-site solar power. By the end of this latest solar installation phase for ALDI, Epho will have designed and constructed commercial solar systems on over 200 ALDI stores. The current tranche of 100 stores, each with close to 100 kilowatt solar system, has been built with breathtaking efficiency - in 100 business days, without compromising on the quality and safety for which Epho is renowned.

Starting from humble beginnings when Epho delivered only one store in each of 2015 and 2016 - at Tweed Heads, NSW, and the first 5 star Greenstar rated store in Scoresby, VIC, in 2016, ALDI’s solar program has grown into the largest number of on-site solar systems for any company in Australia. The ALDI stores are generally fitted with a 100 kilowatt (kW) solar system on the roof, which coincidently is also what is needed to off-set the day-time energy consumption of the store. However, ALDI did not restrict its solar program to the stores, Epho also designed, constructed and now operates urban solar power stations on ALDI’s distribution centres in Regency Park SA (650 kW), Brendale QLD(1 MW), Derrimut VIC (1.4 MW) and Dandenong VIC (1.5 MW).

“The speed of 100 stores in 100 business days is only possible because ALDI and Epho have built a strong partnership over the years. In this latest phase, we could apply ‘lean thinking’ concepts across all aspects of the processes from engineering, logistics, construction to operation. We included our local installation partners, our suppliers, the local network service providers and, of course, the internal ALDI team itself in our planning and project delivery”, explains Dr Oliver Hartley, Epho’s managing director. “It is only because of these partnerships we could deliver exceptional value to ALDI without compromising on our high quality and safety. Now, we continuously monitor the performance of all these solar power systems across the country to provide routine and reactive, but also predictive maintenance to ensure that our Epho solar system deliver as expected.”

“To meet ALDI’s stringent requirements and maintain its award-winning customer experience at all times, the actual installation needed to happen in a ‘ghost-like’ manner with absolutely minimal disturbance to the normal operation of the ALDI store,” said Luke Butterworth, Epho’s head of operations. “The Epho team could rely on their great breadth and depth of experience in the commercial and industrial sector from the massive and highly complex 6 MW industrial solar system at Brisbane airport to many solar rollouts for some of Australia’ largest companies like CBA, Goodman, DHL and many others.

“Because we build partnerships with our clients, a lot of things become more efficient, more economical, and simpler by creating win/win relationships for all stakeholders” highlights Hartley. “The power of these business relationships proved themselves more than ever during COVID-19. Despite the backdrop of a pandemic, Epho could continue the rollout of the solar program working closely with the ALDI team to ensure that everybody was safe and adhered to the health guidelines. This means that 150 people including Epho employees and contractors in the different parts of the country could stay in work and we even hired new employees during the pandemic.”

In the end, it is partnerships like the one with ALDI that allow the Epho team to fulfill our purpose to help combat the climate emergency and ensure a fairer future for our children’s generation by leading the thinking and implementation of cost efficient sustainable energy solutions for businesses.

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About Epho

Epho delivers end to end solar energy solutions for large corporate organisations across Australia. The company develops, engineers, procures, constructs, commissions, operates and maintains as well as owns commercial solar power systems that increase its clients’ profitability by reducing ongoing operational costs. The company is fully ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and AS 4801 accredited and provides services to some of Australia’s largest corporations. Epho also developed the Bright Thinkers Power StationTM (patent pending) to unlock Australia’s large industrial solar potential.

( www.epho.com.au )

Media contact: Matt Scaddan, m.scaddan@epho.com.au; 0452 286 690

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