The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has expanded its global renewable energy portfolio with an on-site solar installation at its new, state-of-the-art fill and assembly manufacturing facility, Hillmount, in Markham, Ontario. The rooftop installation makes Hillmount the company’s first Canadian facility to use on-site solar power, bringing the company’s total solar capacity to 5.7 MW worldwide and helping to further its climate action strategy.
The leading component of ELC’s climate-related strategy to address Scope 1 and 2 emissions for its direct operations is the pursuit of energy efficiency and on-site/off-site renewable energy through a portfolio approach which includes investments in its growing, renewable energy portfolio at its facilities around the world. The newly energized solar installation at Hillmount will support progress toward the company’s science-based targets (SBTs), positioning ELC to take even more decisive action in the coming decade.
Hillmount’s solar array will also help reduce the facility’s carbon emissions and bring additional renewable energy online. The installation will produce 730 MWh of solar electricity annually from approximately 1,600 panels and generate 10% of the annual estimated Hillmount plant demand — the equivalent of yearly electricity for 84 homes. On a cloudless, sunny day, the solar array can generate approximately 50% of the real-time plant demand. The array will also drive progress toward LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification for the facility.
“Our Hillmount facility has sustainability at its core and our employees’ incredible passion and commitment have been integral to our achievements in this area,” said David Clare, Vice President, Supply Chain, Canada. “We’re very proud that our solar array will help contribute to the positive environmental impact of our global manufacturing footprint and help ELC achieve its broader climate goals.”
The solar array at Hillmount is one of the many sustainability features incorporated into the site. Hillmount was designed with a variety of green building practices including windows fitted with glass that prevents injury to birds, measures to reduce pollution from construction, green parking spaces for hybrid and electric vehicles, and indoor and outdoor water efficiency. The facility’s washroom plumbing fixtures reduce water flow by 40% more than the certification requirements, saving the equivalent of 3 Olympic size swimming pools worth of potable water each year, while waste initiatives diverted more than 75% of construction waste to recycling.
“The Canadian manufacturing facility’s solar installation is an important achievement for the North American business, which has consistently been a key driver of environmental progress across our global footprint,” said Nancy Mahon, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability. “The completion of this ambitious project is a testament to The Estée Lauder Companies’ commitment to taking action on climate in the communities where we live, work and operate.”
This solar installation is part of ELC’s growing renewable energy portfolio, which includes ground-mount and rooftop on-site solar arrays at facilities around the world, from Galgenen, Switzerland, to Petersfield, UK to Melville, New York, and Blaine, Minnesota. ELC also became the first prestige beauty company to execute a 22 MW Virtual Power Purchase Agreement for a wind farm in Oklahoma — the company’s largest renewable energy agreement to-date. During fiscal year 2021, the company generated more than 5,000 MWh of solar energy from its on-site arrays.
Hillmount’s renewable energy efforts are helping to further advance the sustainability of ELC’s global manufacturing and distribution network and the company as a whole. Worldwide, ELC is driving strategic initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint, integrate environmentally responsible practices and invest in innovative technology as part of efforts to not only provide consumers with transformative products and experiences, but also to contribute to the well-being of the planet.
Learn more about the company’s efforts to address climate change in its FY21 Social Impact and Sustainability Report.
