Ethel M Chocolates opens a solar garden

Henderson-based Ethel M Chocolates recently announced the opening of a solar garden and unveiled its plan to use the power of the s un to make chocolate.

Housing more than 2,000 solar panels on 4.4 acres adjacent to the cactus garden at Ethel M, 2 Cactus Garden Drive, the project supplies 100 percent of the electricity needed for operation during peak hours.

Mack Phillips, the site director for the Henderson plant, said the installation generates 1,258 megawatt hours of zero-emission electricity that reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 867 metric tons.

"That is equivalent of taking 170 automobiles off the road each year," Phillips said. "It is the largest solar garden in the state of Nevada installed by a food manufacturer."

The garden, unveiled Feb. 23, was estimated to generate enough energy to power 115 Nevada homes a year .

Mars Inc., which owns Ethel M, has included environmental sustainablity as part of its core strategies for the past five to 10 years, Phillips said. With up-and-coming technology, the company can carry out energy-efficient projects.

"We have committed to completely eliminating our carbon foot print by the year 2040," Phillips said. "We will only be using 100 percent renewable energy sources."

Mars contracted Juwi Solar Inc., a corporation that designs, builds and operates solar projects, for the project .

Michael Martin, CEO of Juwi, said projects such as the solar garden are important because they allow corporations to be somewhat self-reliant on power sources while eliminating their carbon footprints .

"It serves as a beacon of proof that solar power is cost-efficient, reliable and here to stay," Martin said.

Martin said the panels are made of a crystal silicon, which is fairly common technology in solar, and have a module that tracks the sun's position .

The project broke ground in the fourth quarter of 2011 and was completed in December.

This was Juwi's second project for Mars Chocolate North America.

"The first solar project is in New Jersey," Martin said. "This is our first project in Nevada, but we plan to do more."

The event also included appearances by U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev. ; U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. ; and Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen.

Berkley, a professed chocoholic and proponent of renewable energy projects, said this project was a step in the right direction for Nevada to become the green energy capital of the United States.

"We have an abundance of sun, wind and geothermal," Berkley said. "I believe we can set an example. It is a win-win-win situation for everyone."

Berkley said she foresees a day when it will be politically incorrect for a company not to talk about how it is reducing its carbon footprint or using renewable energy.

Heller said it was notable that Ethel M was able to gravitate toward sustainbility without relying on subsidies from the government.

Tony Sanchez, senior vice president of government and community strategy for NV Energy, also spoke .

Sanchez said there are about 800 solar projects in Nevada and that it was a good sign that the company was able to build the project without using public dollars.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.