FedEx broke ground this week on its first international solar energy installation, located near the Cologne, Germany airport. The new installation will be a 1.4 megawatt system that will be FedEx's largest on-site solar energy facility, providing the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of 370 homes. It will also double the amount of electricity FedEx generates for itself with solar installations. The new system is expected to be completed by 2010. It will include over 16,000 square meters of solar panels fitted to the building's roof. The Cologne facility is an entirely new FedEx hub — the company is building it from the ground up to serve as a main hub for European shipping.

In 2005, FedEx claimed the title of the largest rooftop solar panel installation in California with a system that provided 20 percent of the electrical needs of its Oakland hub. Since then, FedEx has added solar power systems to its facilities in Whittier and Fontana, California. Those three facilities together offset 2.9 million pounds of carbon emissions every year. The company has been moving to renewable energy sources whenever it has the opportunity, including using a geothermal system to heat and cool its facility in Geneva, Switzerland.

Image — FedEx