PepsiCo unveils €2.4m rooftop solar panel installation at Cork plant

James Cox

PepsiCo has completed a €2.4 million rooftop solar panel installation at its facility in Little Island, Cork.

The project, which will significantly reduce the amount of electricity used by PepsiCo’s Little Island facility, commenced in 2023 and was finalised in August 2024.

In total, there are over 3,400 individual solar panels that make up the installation. The solar PV system has added 1625kVA generation capacity to the plant which, while running during peak summer months, will have the capability to meet 100 per cent of the plant’s requirement.

Through this investment of €2.4 million, the solar PV system will deliver over 20 per cent of the plant’s annual electricity demand. The roof mounted installation covers 6,800 square meters, close to 40 per cent of the plant's total roof area.

The project was identified as "both a sustainability and efficiency opportunity by utilising the renewable energy potential of the site, as well as providing cost savings by offsetting against the current electricity imports from the grid".

Through the month of August, the system generated 77,634kWh (equivalent to the monthly electricity use of 220 households), a partial capacity as phase two of the system was brought online midway through the month.

This investment coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Little Island facility opening in 1974.

Speaking about the solar PV project, Brian Colgan, site director at PepsiCo Little Island, said: “In 2021, PepsiCo launched our pep+ strategy. pep+ changed how we view and do business. Today’s announcement of our Little Island site’s rooftop solar panel installation, which is one of the largest globally for PepsiCo, is the latest example of our commitment to ensuring that sustainability and social impact are at the heart of our work.”