CarrefourSA Stores Generate Their Own Energy

Sabancı Holding and CarrefourSA, a Carrefour subsidiary, have installed a rooftop Solar Energy Plant (SEP) with 620 kWp installed capacity at their İstinye Hypermarket in cooperation with İklimsa, in line with sustainability targets. The system will cover 45% of the store's annual energy needs and prevent 374.8 tons of carbon emissions.

CarrefourSA operates approximately 1,200 stores across 67 provinces and reaches 15,000 employees including dealers, continuing to provide customers with the right products from reliable manufacturers at competitive prices and service. With its "Right for Life" approach, CarrefourSA has made sustainability and energy efficiency a priority and is steadily continuing renewable energy investments toward this goal. Through the rooftop Solar Energy Plant (SEP) project implemented at İstinye Hypermarket in cooperation with İklimsa, CarrefourSA is pioneering the energy transformation in the organized food retail sector.

CarrefourSA Board Member Bulut Batum, stating that they continue to say "Right for Life" while keeping financial practices at the forefront to contribute to an environment-friendly future, said: "We are continuously pursuing projects aimed at increasing energy efficiency across all our locations. Thanks to these projects, we reduce our energy consumption while meeting our energy needs from renewable sources and fulfilling our responsibility to the environment. Solar energy currently has great potential in terms of both efficiency and sustainability. Considering the high energy requirements of the retail sector, we will continue our solar energy investments."

"Will cover 45% of the store's annual energy needs"

Batum, referring to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources' Turkey Solar Energy Potential Atlas, which determined that the country's average annual sunshine duration is 2,741 hours and annual total heating value is 1,527.46 kWh/square meter, continued: "These figures show us how fortunate Turkey's position is in terms of solar energy. Through the project we have implemented in cooperation with İklimsa, we have focused on using our existing renewable energy resources correctly. Our rooftop SEP project, first installed at İstinye CarrefourSA Hypermarket, has 620 kWp installed capacity and is designed to cover 45% of the store's annual energy needs. Energy production of this scale is equivalent to the annual energy needs of 187 households. At the same time, it will prevent 374.8 tons of carbon emissions. In our project, we achieved optimal placement using 1,113 high-efficiency panels and maximized our energy efficiency by using the latest technologies."

"We will reduce our energy costs through SEP investments"

Batum, stating that they will continue their investments in this field, said: "The world is changing rapidly and this change requires us to adopt an approach in harmony with nature. Since 2020, we have opened 59 charging stations and served more than 20,000 vehicles, laying the foundation for environmentally conscious transportation infrastructure. While expanding these investments by converting our store parking lots into Eşarj points, through energy efficiency projects we implemented in 2023, we prevented 23,153 tons of CO2e emissions from our direct operations, 12,000 cubic meters of water consumption, and 40,000 MWh of electricity use. The 40 million kWh energy savings we achieved across 485 of our stores is an important indicator of this process. By implementing similar projects in all our stores, we aim to achieve more than 60 million kWh energy savings annually. Our current annual energy consumption used in all our business processes is approximately 180 million kWh. This is a very serious figure that needs to be saved. That is why we will accelerate our solar energy investments in 2025, both reducing our energy costs and promoting the use of renewable energy."

"As İklimsa, we are building our shared future."

Teknosa Board Member and İklimsa Business Unit Assistant General Manager Tansu Öztorun, providing clarifications on the matter, said: "As İklimsa, we are building our shared future. As İklimsa, the pioneer brand of Teknosa's dealer and service network, we are expanding our renewable energy solutions that will add value to the world with the vision of 'New Generation Sabancı'. In terms of efficiency, manufacturers and businesses' interest in solar energy investments is increasing day by day, with the aim of reducing electricity consumption costs, avoiding the impact of potential energy price increases, and thus becoming more competitive both nationally and internationally. While return on investments initially took over 15 years, today they have fallen to as short as 4 years. Considering the 25-year economic lifespan of installed SEPs, companies can use the energy they produce for 21 years or more in their own facilities and residences, and can also sell excess production, creating income for themselves. Together with our network of over 500 authorized dealers and service points in 71 provinces, we provide solar energy systems with corporate and individual solutions, serving a very wide range from residential projects to all capacity rooftop and land applications. With our organizational structure, the services we provide end-to-end, and our ability to create projects tailored to needs, we operate with the commitment to provide our customers with the most ambitious service in the SEP sector without compromising on quality. Following the installation of solar energy systems, we meet our customers' needs in monthly production reporting, maintenance and repair, periodic panel cleaning, and spare parts services. İklimsa, with its 40 years of air conditioning experience and expertise, is taking confident steps toward becoming the most preferred brand in the renewable energy sector. In this context, the rooftop solar energy plant implemented at İstinye Hypermarket by Sabancı Group company and our sister firm CarrefourSA in cooperation with İklimsa was planned to cover 45% of the store's energy needs. Clean energy obtained through solar panels will be used in the store's daily operations and will significantly reduce carbon emissions. We hope that this project implemented in the organized food retail sector will pioneer renewable energy investments and serve as a source of inspiration for other brands and stores."