The first advanced solar panels were installed on the roof of the EUROSPAR Supermarket in Gortahork, within the scope of a partnership between BWG Group, the license holder for SPAR in Ireland, and the Irish renewable energy efficiency company Enerpower.

EUROSPAR Gortahork, in the northwest of county Donegal in Ireland, owned by the McClafferty family, is the first store to complete the solar panel installation which is expected to see a 15% reduction in the store’s carbon emissions and a significant annual cost saving on energy bills of up to 15%. Further installations are being rolled out to other EUROSPAR Supermarkets in the counties of Louth and Kilkenny in the coming months, as part of the partnership.

The advanced solar panels that will be deployed as part of the scheme are highly efficient and are designed to deliver significant energy cost savings.

EUROSPAR Ireland Managing Director, Malachy Hanberry, said: “We are pleased to announce that the EUROSPAR Supermarket in Gortahork is the first store to launch this exciting partnership. EUROSPAR in Ireland is committed to seeking out new opportunities and innovations that will help us and our retailers to reduce our carbon footprint. We look forward to other retailers benefiting from this collaboration as they seek to future-proof their businesses from an environmental impact perspective.”

The owner of the EUROSPAR Supermarket Gortahork, Thomas McClafferty commented: “We are delighted with this addition to our EUROSPAR Supermarket. That we will benefit from significant savings while also helping the environment is a great bonus and I am thrilled that we are the first EUROSPAR Supermarket in the estate to have this innovation.”

This initiative is just one example of the trials implemented by SPAR in Ireland to encourage a reduced environmental impact throughout their retail and supply chain network.

Source: SPAR Ireland

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About SPAR Ireland

SPAR Ireland was established in 1963 and is operated by leading wholesale and retail company, BWG Foods. In 2014, 80% of BWG’s shares were sold to SPAR South Africa, however, the existing shareholders remain involved in the business.

With a presence in every county across the Republic of Ireland, SPAR is one of the country’s largest convenience retail groups. In developing the business, SPAR Ireland has a long track record of recognising the strategic importance of introducing new retail concepts. It operates three of the four SPAR formats: SPAR, EUROSPAR and SPAR Express, bringing consumers a comprehensive range of innovative products and instore offerings.