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HVAC/HYDRONICS N E W S 28 JANUARY 2016 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com units, down from 348,143 units shipped in September 2014. U.S. shipments of air-source heat pumps decreased 20.3% to 152,597 units, down from 191,485 units shipped in September 2014.Year-to- date combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps increased 1.8%, to 5,700,792 units, up from 5,599,693 units shipped in September 2014. Year-to-date shipments of central air conditioners increased 3.0% to 3,824,980 units, up from 3,713,244 units shipped during the same period in 2014. The year- to-date total for heat pump shipments decreased 0.6% to 1,875,812 units, down from 1,886,449 units shipped during the same period in 2014. NOTE: A shipment is defined as when a unit transfers ownership; a consignment is not a transfer of ownership. Industry data is aggregated from the information sup- plied by AHRI member companies that participate in the statistics program and may be subject to revision. Published year- to-date data is inclusive of all revisions. No other AHRI data (e.g., by state or region) is available to the general public other than that published. AHRI does not conduct any market forecasting and is not qualified to discuss market trends. NEW REPORT FINDS MORE AMERICAN BUSINESSES ARE INSTALLING SOLAR THAN EVER BEFORE Growth in the use of solar energy has surged 183% among America's top companies in the four years since the first Solar Means Business report was published. The study released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) also shows a 59% growth in solar installations since just last year. For the fourth year in a row, Walmart ranked No.1 in the Solar Means Business report, which identifies major commer- cial solar projects and ranks top corporate solar users. The big box retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark., boasts a robust 142 mega- watts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity at 348 locations. Other top companies recognized for both their amount of solar capacity and number of solar installations include Kohl's, Apple, Macy's, Walgreens, Target, IKEA, Prologis, FedEx, Intel, General Motors, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Bed Bath & Beyond, Safeway, Hartz Mountain, Staples, L'Oreal, Kaiser Permanente and Toyota. "These blue-chip companies have real- ized investing in solar is a common-sense, cost-effective decision that pays dividends for both the environment and their bottom lines," said SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch. "Not only are they helping to create thousands of American jobs in solar, the nearly 1,700 systems currently in operation are generating enough clean, reliable elec- tricity to offset nearly 890,000 metric tons of harmful carbon emissions a year." "Solar is an important part of our renewable energy program," said Mark Vanderhelm, vice president of energy for Walmart. "We believe in advancing solar deployment by pursuing projects that make business sense. In fact, in 2014 we commit- ted to doubling the number of on-site solar energy projects at our U.S. stores, Sam's Clubs and distribution centers by 2020. We're excited about our continued work towards meeting that goal and appreci- ate being acknowledged by SEIA for these efforts." The report notes that growth in corpo- rate solar adoption is no longer limited to traditional solar markets, but that "solar is a smart business decision wherever your business may be." Combined, America's top corporate solar users installed 1,686 systems totaling 907 MW of solar. Representing a "Who's Who" of the corporate world, these companies are playing an increasingly important role in the development, expansion and promotion of solar nationwide, while also reducing their operating expenses, benefiting customers and shareholders alike. "Prioritizing renewable energy options like solar power at our facilities not only helps us reduce our spending on traditional energy but also reduces business risk and our impact on climate change," said Rob Threlkeld, GM global manager of renew- able energy. "As a result, we regained our ranking as the top automotive user of solar in the U.S." "Over the last decade, L'Oreal USA has been persistent in improving our environmental performance through innovative sustainability solutions," said Jonathan Maher, vice president of CSR & Sustainability at L'Oreal USA. "SEIA's efforts to promote solar energy usage align with our approach to examine every opportu- nity to increase our solar output, as shown in the latest Solar Means Business ranking. Our significant solar capabilities and energy efficiency achievements are thanks to our dedicated employees and facilities, who con- tinue to infuse social and environmental sustainability into every aspect of L'Oréal's business." The 2.7 MW solar array at FedEx's facility in Hagerstown, Md., consists of nearly 9,000 individual modules and offsets 37% of their electricity demand. "FedEx is committed to connecting the world responsibly and resourcefully," said Mitch Jackson, vice president of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, FedEx Corporation. "This includes mini- mizing impacts on the environment with our 15 solar installations, helping us avoid more than 4,600 metric tons of CO2 emis- sions in FY15, reducing our environmental footprint." "Solar energy is an integral part of Intel's renewable energy portfolio, and we are committed to embracing, evaluating and implementing new projects and innovative learnings around the world," said Marty Sedler, director of Global Utilities and Infrastructure at Intel Corporation. "Solar will continue to be a core part of our alter- native energy solution because it provides leadership, helps spur the market, makes renewables more accessible, and reduces the overall carbon emissions from electricity generation directly used for our facilities." CORALIE BAILLY JOINS SUNTEC Coralie Bailly, a mechanical engineer, joined SUNTEC Industries as a sales engi- neer in September. As part of her position, she will offer SUNTEC customers service support for new applications. She is also working on promoting new and existing products for industrial applications, high pressure cleaning, space heating and the use of biodiesel. Bailly can be reached at: