The recent Photovoltaic installation at the Huesca hypermarket This marks a new step in the distribution sector's commitment to the energy self-consumption and the reduction of emissions. The center, operated by Alcampo, now incorporates its own solar plant designed to generate a significant portion of the electricity it needs daily.
This move is part of a broader strategy to transition to a renewable energy model within Spain, where large stores and retail operators are increasingly resorting to on-site solar energy solutions to reduce costs, gain autonomy and minimize their environmental impact.
Technical details of the photovoltaic plant in Huesca
The Alcampo hypermarket in Huesca already has a photovoltaic self-consumption system Developed in conjunction with Helexia, a company specializing in building energy performance and solar power generation. The installation consists of a total of 568 solar panels, placed on the roof and parking area of ​​the center.
Taken together, these modules achieve a installed potency of 321 kWp, a figure that allows the hypermarket to produce a significant amount of its daily electricity demand directly from the solar radiation available in the area.
The plant has been sized to generate around 476 MWh of renewable energy per yearThis annual production is designed to be directly integrated into the establishment's consumption, so that the electricity produced is used in real time for the center's normal operation.
According to the company's estimates, this generation volume will cover approximately 37% of total electricity consumption from the hypermarket in Huesca. The rest will continue to come from the network, although also from certified renewable origin, as has been happening for years in Alcampo stores in Spain.
Alcampo's commitment to renewable energy
Collaboration between Alcampo and Helexia In Huesca, this is not an isolated event, but rather part of a long-term strategy for energy sustainability. July 2018, 100% of the electricity The energy consumed by the chain comes from renewable sources with a guarantee of origin, thus moving towards a more environmentally friendly model.
In addition, from Since 2010, the company has periodically published its carbon footprint.This indicator, certified under ISO 14064, is publicly available on the company website. This transparency policy aims to show the evolution of its emissions and the impact of the measures taken to reduce them.
In recent years the company has taken a further step, moving from acquiring green electricity to generate some of their own renewable energy in the centers themselves. This change of focus has been reinforced especially since 2023, when photovoltaic self-consumption projects intensified in different autonomous communities.
The case of the hypermarket in Huesca fits perfectly into this line of work, combining the consumption of certified energy with the local solar production on the roofs and parking lots of the establishment, thus reducing losses in transport and dependence on the network.
Other photovoltaic projects by Alcampo in Aragon
The Huesca plant This is not the first installation of this type in Aragon driven by the chain. In the autonomous community, other photovoltaic systems are already in operation at the centers of Teruel, Utebo and MercazaragozaThis brings the number of hypermarkets and platforms with their own renewable generation in the region to four.
In this way, Aragon is positioned as one of the territories where Alcampo's commitment to self-consumption It is gaining more traction, taking advantage of the good solar resource and the availability of surfaces on roofs and parking lots for the installation of panels.
For the company, these infrastructures allow it to reduce the environmental impact associated with its activities, but they also represent a progress in operational efficiencyby stabilizing a portion of the energy cost and reducing exposure to the volatility of the electricity market.
The management of the Huesca hypermarket emphasizes that this floor is a further step in generating our own renewable electricity, fully aligned with the brand's vision of "eat well and live better while taking care of the planet," a motto with which the company summarizes its approach to a more responsible business activity.
National reach: number of installations and panels
Beyond Aragon, Alcampo's strategy in Spain is already translating into a growing park of photovoltaic installations distributed across various locations throughout the country. With the opening of the Huesca hypermarket plant, the company now has 12 operational solar installations in their centers.
Collectively, these plants group around 11.770 solar panels installed (in some communications the figure is rounded to around 11.700 modules), which places the company as one of the benchmarks in energy efficiency and self-consumption within the large distribution sector in Spain.
These projects are mainly located in hypermarkets and logistics platformswhere the available surface area on roofs or parking lots allows for the deployment of considerable-sized solar fields, as is the case in Huesca with its 321 kWp.
The initiative is not limited solely to the installation of panels: it is accompanied by energy monitoring and management measures to optimize the use of electricity generated on-site, integrating it with other energy saving and efficiency systems in buildings.
Decarbonization plan and climate objectives
The commissioning of this photovoltaic plant is part of a broader decarbonization plan which Alcampo is deploying nationwide. Among its goals, the company has set itself the objective of reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 46% from now until 2030, taking the starting levels as a reference.
He has also pledged to achieve a 25% reduction in indirect emissions (Scope 3) related to logistics and product marketing in 2030 compared to 2020. To this end, the firm is driving changes in both energy supply and other aspects of its daily operations.
The photovoltaic installation at the Huesca hypermarket contributes to these objectives. reduce energy consumption from fossil fuels and reduce emissions linked to electricity use at the center itself. The more solar energy generated and consumed on-site, the smaller the carbon footprint resulting from its daily operations.
These environmental goals complement other internal initiatives related to refrigeration efficiency, LED lighting, facility optimization, and logistical improvements, which together aim to reduce the climate impact of the business maintaining operations and customer service.
Helexia, a partner specializing in energy transition
For the development of the Huesca plant, Alcampo has collaborated with helexia, a company focused on Energy efficiency of buildings and on-site photovoltaic productionThis firm acts as an energy partner for commercial and industrial clients who want to advance in the transition towards more sustainable consumption models.
Helexia, a subsidiary of VoltaliaIt operates in a total of 11 countries and has more than 1.785 photovoltaic projects completed, with around 450 MW of installed capacity. In addition, the company participates in more than 200 energy efficiency projects and manages approximately 1.000 sites each year.
In the specific case of Spain, the company has been present since 2019 and already has more than 70 projects in operationin addition to a portfolio of nearly 100 MWp to be developed in the coming years. The cooperation with Alcampo Huesca is intended to serve as an example of how collaboration between companies It can generate a positive impact on both the environment and operational efficiency.
As Helexia's management in Spain has pointed out, the Huesca hypermarket project demonstrates that companies can become protagonists of the energy transitionintegrating self-consumption solutions adapted to their specific needs into their facilities.
Alcampo as a relevant player in Spanish retail
The deployment of solar installations like the one in Huesca is better understood if one takes into account the current size of the Alcampo network in SpainThe company combines hypermarket and supermarket formats and currently operates a total of 508 centers distributed throughout the national territory.
From them, 80 are hypermarkets y 428 supermarkets, including 133 franchised establishments. This network is further complemented by 52 gas stations and a consolidated online commerce service, which establishes a significant presence in large cities as well as in peri-urban areas and medium-sized towns.
The company has a workforce of around 23.300 peopleThis positions it as one of the sector's leading employers. Furthermore, it holds the seal top employerAwarded by the Top Employers Institute, which recognizes human resources policies, the work environment, and the welfare measures implemented for its staff.
In this context, the implementation of self-consumption projects like the one in Huesca becomes another piece of a business strategy that combines economic, social and environmental criteriaseeking to reconcile commercial activity with a lower climate impact and more efficient energy management.
The launch of the Photovoltaic installation at the Alcampo Huesca hypermarket reinforces the retail sector trend towards self-consumption and renewable energy, providing concrete data on generation, savings, and emissions reduction. The project joins other plants in Aragon and the network of solar systems that the company is deploying in Spain, as it advances its 2030 decarbonization plan with specialized partners like Helexia and in line with a business vision that seeks to combine service, efficiency, and respect for the environment.
