Many don’t know this, but back in 2017, it was announced that the #LEGO company reached their 100 percent renewable energy objective three years ahead of schedule. The company has demonstrated an obvious interest in renewable, clean #energy, to include wind and solar power projects, and a desire to create a better, cleaner future for builders and innovators of tomorrow. LEGO works with such partners as the WWF Climate Savers programme. There is a clear desire to go #solar!
The #LEGO Group even holds a Guinness World Records title, having built the planet’s biggest LEGO brick wind turbine. It was made using 146,000 LEGO bricks. How cool is that? Clearly, the LEGO Group has a focus on clean energy, to include #solar power. And now, they are taking things a step further regarding solar interests…
LEGO Buys Solar Project Developer
The owner of LEGO has purchased a US solar power project developer. #KIRKBI is a company you might not have previously heard of, but it’s a holding company that makes investments for the founding family of LEGO. KIRKBI has attained the majority stake of a subsidiary of #Enerparc known as Enerparc U.S. Interests of KIRKBI include real estate and numerous offshore wind assets.
The United States subsidiary of German company Enerparc has 100MW of solar PV capacity in operation. Universally, this company has built 2.5GW of solar power capacity.
As previously mentioned, back in 2017, LEGO made some major moves toward clean energy/solar. As of this time, the company was powered completely by renewables such as solar power. This is certainly work talking about.
LEGO has really been an innovative company since the beginning. Back in the 1940’s, the company switched from wooden iconic bricks to using a plastic injection molding machine. It was, without doubt, a risky move, but it was worth making.
LEGO: A Solar Impact
The LEGO empire is vastly controlled by the #Kirk Kristiansen family, as they have a 75 percent stake in the company. The KIRKBI fund is utilized in order to direct money toward activities that meet specific standards, for instance, having a net positive impact on the environment.
The chief investment officer for KIRKBI A/S, #Thomas Lau Schleicher, stated that KIRKBI has a unique opportunity because of their majority stake in Enerparc Inc. They can take ownership in a corporation with an established commercial, operational and scalable platform, bringing solar power to numerous people. He communicated the desire to work closely with the team at Enerparc Inc. to help support the company’s growth in the US solar power industry.
As mentioned, Enerparc U.S. has at least 100MW of power producing capacity. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the Deputy Chairman of the Board of LEGO A/S and the principal shareholder of the LEGO Group, has a net worth of more than $4.5 billion, so he certainly has the ability to supercharge build-out at Enerparc, if he wishes to do so.
A Commitment to a Solar-Friendly Economy
Chief Executive Officer of Enerparc Inc, Florent Abadie, discussed building a solar PV portfolio with the ability to power 20,000 homes across America, and highlighted excitement regarding welcoming KIRKBI to Enerparc Inc as a majority stakeholder. Abadie mentioned being committed to serving partners, clients and suppliers while pursuing a growth strategy, with the end goal of helping the transition to a greener, more solar friendly economy. Going solar is a clear win!
There has been a clear surge in corporate interest in solar power in America. Many are now under long term power purchase agreements, sometimes referred to as PPA’s, to procure electricity from solar power projects. This allows for more certainty in terms of cost. Even major corporations such as Google and Facebook have invested money into solar projects.
Who would have thought a toy corporation would purchase a solar developer? Well, the owners behind LEGO undoubtedly thought this would be a great idea, as they have now acquired the majority stake in a popular United States solar developer. Continue to follow solar news to stay on top of the latest solar developments, including major companies making big moves toward a cleaner, healthier planet. There are many exciting things happening in the world of solar!
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnparnell/2019/03/29/lego-buys-u-s-solar-power-builder/6b4ffb7f6e0f
https://www.pv-tech.org/news/lego-lays-first-brick-in-solar-empire-with-enerparc-us-acquisition
https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news-room/2017/may/100-percent-renewable-milestone
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