Asics Doubles Clean Energy Production at Mississippi Facility

Alexandra Harrell
·2 min read

Asics has completed its second solar rooftop project.

The Japanese footwear company outfitted its Byhalia, Miss. distribution center with a 1-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) rooftop in partnership with clean technology solutions firm, PowerFlex.

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A solar panel with signatures and a co-branded PowerFlex and Asics ribbon draped across the corner.
A solar panel with signatures and a co-branded PowerFlex and Asics ribbon draped across the corner.

Now the distribution center will generate up to 2 MWs solar power, helping offset utility costs by using green energy for nearly half, or 48 percent, of the facility’s energy needs. Asics will also start using net metering, a billing tool that lets solar panel owners send surplus energy back to the electric grid in exchange for credits to cut their monthly electric bills.

“As Asics continues toward a goal of reducing our overall CO2 emissions by 63 percent by 2030, today’s announcement is a strong step forward,” Kyle Koestler, director of operations for Asics North America, said. “The PowerFlex team were great partners in helping seamlessly complete the second rooftop solar project without disrupting our day-to-day business at the distribution center.”

PowerFlex organized the interconnection agreement—a contract that allows a solar energy system to import electricity from the grid—between Asics and the municipal utility cooperative, NorthCentral Electric. The project took three months to complete, according to the second largest installer of commercial rooftop solar companies in the United States, and will result in energy savings of up to $100,000 in the first year. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that clean energy is akin to offsetting the electricity consumption of nearly 300 households annually.

“Asics is a relentless innovator and leader in reducing carbon emissions,” Raphael Declercq, CEO of PowerFlex, said. “We’re proud to partner with Asics to double their clean energy production, offset energy costs and contribute energy to the grid to expedite their ongoing commitment to sustainability.”

Asics first began equipping the Marshall County facility with solar power in 2017. Two years later, the distribution center received the Energy Star award for the sixth consecutive year, partly due to the energy panels that previously generated around 23 percent of the site’s annual needs. In March 2020, the Byhalia site was recognized as a LEED Certified building.

Asics Corporation received a shoutout for its work climate action earlier this year. The company was identified as a global leader for engaging with its suppliers on climate change, and awarded a position on the CDP‘s Supplier Engagement Leaderboard (SER) for the fourth consecutive year. The global environmental impact nonprofit found that Asics was one of the top 8 percent of more than 6,200 organizations evaluated by the carbon disclosure organization.