LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexmark International Inc. invests in its investment in sustainable energy, as the imaging and Internet of Things (IoT) technology company plans to a $4 million solar panel array and educational green space area at its corporate headquarters in Lexington.
Lexmark will construct a 10-acre solar panel array at its Fayette County location. The 2-megawatt direct-current array will generate over 225,000-kilowatt hours per month – more than 3.3 million kilowatt-hours in its first year – and will offset approximately 10% of the site’s energy usage. The array will be used to power the Lexmark facility and has the potential to increase capacity up to 6 megawatts. Company leaders anticipate work on the project to begin immediately and be completed by the end of 2022.
The project also will revitalize a brownfield area, which will be used as an educational green space with walking trails, a wildlife habitat, a butterfly garden and a planting area for pollinator flowers. Power generation analytics resulting from the solar array will be displayed at the company’s customer engagement center. The solar array and revitalized brownfield also will be utilized to further enhance Lexmark’s longstanding support of STEM education opportunities for local schools.
“The solar array demonstrates Lexmark’s long-term focus on sustainability and is a significant step toward our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2035,” said Allen Waugerman, Lexmark’s president and CEO. “We appreciate the tremendous support we received from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. This project is a great example of what can be accomplished when we work together toward a common goal.”
Lexmark has worked with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet’s (EEC) Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to remove non-native, invasive species and incorporate native species within the area of the project.
Headquartered in Lexington since its inception in 1991, Lexmark creates cloud-enabled imaging and IoT technologies that help customers in more than 170 countries worldwide quickly realize business outcomes. Lexmark considers social responsibility a core part of its business. Its global citizenship begins with providing customers with innovative, high-quality products and services in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, including those that help customers achieve their own sustainability goals. Lexmark has also been recognized for sustainability best practices in its own operations—for energy conservation, wise water use and waste reduction.
Lexmark’s investment in sustainable energy furthers recent economic momentum in the commonwealth, as the state builds back stronger from the effects of the pandemic.
To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in March approved Lexmark for up to $200,000 in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.
In addition, Lexmark can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. These include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives.
For more information on Lexmark, visit Lexmark.com.
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