by Shane Henson — March 7, 2012—Darden Restaurants, owner of some of America’s most recognizable and successful brands in full-service dining, including Red Lobster and Olive Garden, recently unveiled a 1.1 megawatt solar panel installation on the rooftop of its Restaurant Support Center (RSC) in Orlando. The project is now the largest private solar array in Florida, claims Darden.
According to this sustainably minded company, the system is expected to produce up to 1.9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, equaling the average annual energy usage of approximately 163 homes, while reducing carbon emissions by more than 1,300 metric tons annually.
Opened in September 2009, Darden’s RSC facility is the largest building in Florida to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for New Construction (NC). It includes a number of energy-efficiency features, including an all-glass exterior that lets in daylight, but not heat; a U-shaped floor plan that limits western exposures; motion sensors to turn off lights in vacant rooms; and a “daylight harvesting” system that monitors natural light levels and automatically dims artificial lighting as appropriate.
For more information about the sustainable features of Darden’s new headquarters, go to the Darden Sustainability site and click on the hovering “Our New HQ.”
