A Wendy’s outlet in southern California will soon be hooked up to a solar-enabled microgrid, the latest in the chain to tap into an opportunity to reduce electricity bills while installing a guaranteed source of power when the grid goes down.
Located in Wasco, California (pop. 21,000), the burger joint will host a solar array and microgrid system, installed, owned, and operated by New York City-based SolMicrogrid, reports Microgrid Knowledge. The two parties signed an energy-as-a-service agreement, an option suitable for companies interested in switching to renewable electricity sources but skittish about upfront capital costs. An added boon: the business hosting the microgrid is guaranteed a reduced rate on the already cheap power generated by the system.
Being connected to a solar and storage system also means the Wasco Wendy’s will be able to keep flipping burgers, even in the midst of a blackout.
News of Wendy’s venture into solar microgrids comes a year and a half after the company partnered with community solar provider Ampion Renewable Energy to help expand its operational use of renewables, in both company-owned outlets and franchises.
More than 130 locations across New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts are now enrolled in the Ampion+ program, which enables participants to purchase community solar subscriptions and renewable energy certificates.
Wendy’s has said the enrolled outlets “will source around 30% to 100% of their energy through solar power without having to install onsite solar panels,” writes Restaurant Dive.
As of last April, the burger and fries chain was planning to power more than 200 of its restaurants with solar by 2025.
In February 2023, the company committed to reducing its absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions from all its franchises, along with its emissions intensity per franchise restaurant and per tonne of purchased goods, by 47% from 2019 levels by 2030.
The Wasco Wendy’s isn’t the first fast food joint in California to sign on with SolMicrogrid, writes Microgrid Knowledge. Two Chik-fil-A outlets launched solar microgrid pilots with the company last April.
