Nestlé Supports Renewable Energy Initiatives: Antigua Guatemala Becomes Home to the Innovative SmartFlowers
Nestlé’s Antigua Guatemala facility becomes home to a unique solar power source that uses a sculptural design and smart solution to produce clean, sustainable energy. The three newly installed solar panels provide 2.5 kilowatt hours of energy each, covering 40% of the total consumption needs of the new and soon to be inaugurated Nestlé Cultural Center, located in the vicinity of the company’s factory.
The Nestlé factory, located in Antigua Guatemala, is known for its high standards and clean, sustainable operation. Today, the factory’s facilities are equipped with new and innovative integrated solar technology that will power the new Nestlé Cultural Center. These panels are known as SmartFlowers because they work automatically and have a peculiar shape of petals that make them look like a giant flower. Using biomimicry, they open in the morning, face the sunlight during the day and at night the petals fold back. Even during the course of the year – as the seasons change – they modify their axis to maintain alignment. By following the path of the sun, they achieve 95.6% efficiency, higher than conventional panels that have an efficiency of 90%.
“We are very proud to have installed SmartFlowers at our facilities in Antigua Guatemala, as this is undoubtedly an efficient, automatic and innovative solution. Solar energy has been reinvented and today we are pioneers in Guatemala in implementing this technology, as this type of panels are Nestlé’s first in Central America,” said Oscar Sulecio, manager of the Nestlé Antigua Guatemala factory. Environmental sustainability is a fundamental pillar in the Creation of Shared Value with which Nestlé develops its business.
“Through initiatives like this, Nestlé fulfills its commitment to protect the planet’s natural resources and, in this opportunity, with a double objective, since these panels will be part of the Nestlé Cultural Center, soon to be inaugurated. They will power 40% of the site’s energy source and, at the same time, will be an attraction for visitors thanks to their eye-catching design,” added Patricio Astolfi, General Manager of Nestlé Guatemala. These avant-garde solar panels inspired by sunflowers, unlike other options, are self-sufficient and self-cleaning: between each petal there is a brush with fine bristles that, when opened and closed, performs the brushing process. Each SmartFlower has a structure of 12 petals and when fully open they reach a radius of 16 feet.
Since 2019, the Nestlé factory in Antigua Guatemala acquires 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. It also has a system of 64 solar panels that generate enough energy to heat the water needed in its manufacturing processes. Solar energy is currently a cost-effective and accessible alternative, so maintaining and increasing the use of this resource is part of the company’s vision of sustainability. Each SmartFlower can produce up to 4,000 kilowatt hours per year, with a consumption of around 90% of what is produced, achieving 80% efficiency after 25 years of life. Nestlé aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. “As a company, we have to work with different sources to meet our ambitious goals for the planet. We have chosen to help pave the way to a sustainable future and we will continue to work towards this,” concluded Astolfi.
The SmartFlowers solar panels are not only an energy and renewable resource, but also a suitable alternative to share the message of social responsibility that the company has in each community where it operates, ensuring that natural resources are used in the best way and always thinking of future generations. With this new initiative, Nestlé reaffirms the company’s commitment to care for the environment as a fundamental and unavoidable premise to operate, promoting a healthier lifestyle for people and their families and contributing to the development of prosperous and self-sufficient communities through the responsible use of the planet’s resources.
