You don’t have to know much about Texas to know we have a ton of state pride. From our tacos to our state parks to our economic outlook, there are lots of reasons to love the Lone Star State.
Now Texans have yet another reason to brag: the burgeoning Texas green energy movement.
Businesses statewide are taking the lead, making improvements to reduce their energy use, installing alternative fuel sources and helping customers make greener choices.
Today, we recognize eight innovative companies that are changing the face of Texas green energy.
[Related: Going Solar: The Smart Choice for Your Home and Wallet]
Whole Foods
Austin-based Whole Foods sets the example for large-scale commercial green energy in food retail. The company hasn’t simply built or remodeled dozens of LEED-certified stores. It also uses solar panels to power 60 of its locations nationwide — some of which Freedom Solar Power installed right here in Texas!
Whole Foods was a founding partner of the EPA’s GreenChill program, with the goal of reducing refrigerant emissions by using alternative coolants. And it’s launched internal food waste reduction and composting programs — all while providing 100% post-consumer recycled-content bags for customers.
We’re proud of all the work this Freedom Solar client has done to help the environment. It’s no wonder the company is one of the City of Austin’s Platinum-Level Green Business Leaders!
Learn more about Whole Foods’ green initiatives.
Goodwill of Central Texas
With its extensive donation center network, Goodwill does more than almost any other U.S. organization to keep materials out of landfills. However, the Central Texas division of Goodwill deserves a special shoutout for its green energy use.
In 2014, Goodwill partnered with Meridian Solar to install a combined 2,132 solar panels on its Goodwill Resource Center and Goodwill Community Center in Austin. That’s just one of the great things this organization does for local communities.
Learn more about Goodwill Central Texas’s solar installation.
[Related: Businesses Continue To Choose Renewable Energy]
Apple
Austin was abuzz at the end of last year when tech giant Apple announced it would build a new campus there. Green energy advocates expressed their enthusiasm, too — Apple is well-known as an especially green company. In fact, it achieved 100% alternative energy in its offices, retail centers and other facilities in 2018.
Apple’s newest campus will follow that path. It’ll use 100% clean energy and add to its 626 megawatts of generation capacity throughout its alternative energy projects.
Check out all of Apple’s environmental work on its website.
Exxon Mobil
It may seem a bit strange to include an oil company on a list of green energy leaders. Still, the Exxon Mobil headquarters in Irving, Texas, is making good on its promises to be better to the Earth.
Recently, the company announced it will purchase 500 megawatts of wind and solar power to run its facilities. That’s the largest alternative energy contract ever for the oil industry. And that energy will come partly from the Permian Basin solar farm, slated for completion in 2021. Not bad for an oil company!
Read about Exxon Mobil’s environmental initiatives.
[Related: 10 Reasons Why Solar Should Be Every Homeowner’s Next Investment]
Samsung Electronics and Semiconductors
A lot of energy goes into microchip production. In fact, semiconductors have an environmental footprint of 1.4 kWh of energy per square centimeter of silicon wafer. So it only makes sense that microchip manufacturers would want to cut back on energy consumption.
Samsung Electronics and Semiconductors in Austin took that idea and ran with it. In turn, it earned the No. 6 spot on the EPA’s Top Tech & Telecom companies list. In 2018, Samsung’s Austin facilities became 100% renewable, purchasing all their power from Texas green energy providers.
The company also has a wastewater reuse program, and teams focus on identifying less hazardous alternatives to dangerous substances used in semiconductor manufacturing.
Discover more about Samsung’s sustainability work on its website.
Save the World Brewery
Philanthropic and environmentally minded beer drinkers alike rejoiced when they learned about the opening of Save the World Brewery. The beer brewer is in Marble Falls, Texas, and donates 100% of its net profits to people in need.
But it’s also doing great things for the environment! With the help of a 48.6-kilowatt solar array that Freedom Solar installed, the brewery can offset 82% of its energy consumption. We’re so honored to have been able to help with this organization’s noble cause.
Learn more about the company’s mission — and its beer — by visiting its website.
Rackspace
San Antonio’s Rackspace is one of the foremost cloud computing service providers in the nation. And its attitude toward the environment is no less innovative.
In 2019, the EPA ranked Rackspace 17th on its list of Top Tech & Telecom companies due to its conscientious efforts to obtain energy from alternative sources. For example, in 2015 Rackspace purchased 114 million kWh of green energy, some of it from Texas solar energy providers. That means about 36% of the energy its U.S. facilities use comes from renewable resources.
You can learn all about Rackspace’s green efforts on the company’s blog.
[Related: Veterans Support Construction of New Solar Farm in Texas]
SolarSno Shaved Ice
Austin-based food truck SolarSno proves you don’t need to be a massive corporation or a long-time institution to go green.
SolarSno’s shaved ice food trucks are completely off-grid, using 100% solar to power operations. This allows them to go wherever customers may be — regardless of whether an electrical hookup is available. That makes SolarSno a true innovator in the food industry, and it earned owner Tom Myers a spot as a City of Austin Net-Zero Hero. We are so grateful to have hosted Mr. Myers as a guest on our Texas Energy Lab radio show.
Learn more about SolarSno by visiting the company’s Facebook or Instagram profile.
Find Your Green Energy Solutions at Freedom Solar
Want to follow in the footsteps of these Texas Titans? With plenty of energy savings on the line, going solar is just good business.
At Freedom Solar, we’ll help you start harnessing solar energy at your home or business. We install market-leading Maxeon (previously SunPower)® solar panels and tried-and-true backup power solutions. After all, we’re Texas natives and dedicated to guiding you toward energy independence!
Do you need info about Texas solar rebates and incentives or your solar financing options? We’ve got your back. Plus, our expert service and maintenance department is ready to repair or upgrade your solar system.
Call us at (800) 504-2337 or fill out our online inquiry form today. One of our experienced energy consultants will be in touch!