Ampion partners with Wendy’s and its franchisees to source renewable energy

Ampion+ is a product that helps organizations reduce energy costs and obtain Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), which confirm the use of renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Restaurants that sign up will get 30 to 100 percent of their energy from the sun without having to install solar panels on-site. Wendy’s plans to expand the number of restaurants that sign up for the community solar through Ampion as additional solar capacity becomes available and more franchise restaurants sign up for the program. Participating in community solar projects like these helps generate and deliver renewable electricity to local power grids, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

“We are excited about the opportunity this partnership presents to our company and franchise restaurant operators to make it easier and more accessible to source clean energy while ultimately realizing cost savings,” said Steven Derwoed, vice president of global design and construction for Wendy’s. “We are moving forward toward our emissions reduction goals through community participation in solar and RECs. This is a win-win for the company and our franchisees.”

Last year, Wendy’s set near-term science-based goals to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 47 percent and Scope 3 emissions from franchisees by 47 percent per restaurant by 2030, both from a 2019 baseline. Sourcing renewable energy is a key area of ​​focus for Wendy’s in achieving these emissions reduction goals.

Through Ampion, Wendy’s locations have saved approximately 27.5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of community solar energy. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from the electricity used by more than 2,200 homes in one year. Each kilowatt-hour will be billed, tracked and attributed to a specific restaurant location via REC in the Ampion+ product.

“As the need to reduce carbon emissions grows, community solar combined with RECs provides a solution to corporate environmental sustainability that is both achievable and affordable, while also enabling companies to quantify and disclose progress in a standardized manner,” added Nate Owen, CEO and Founder of Ampion. “We see more and more large companies actively pursuing sustainable solutions through community solar. This partnership with Wendy’s demonstrates Ampion’s ability to support these organizations in reducing emissions and bringing more renewable energy to the grid for their local communities.”

RECs represent the environmental benefits of one megawatt-hour (MWh) of renewable energy compared to electricity consumption. Corporations purchase RECs to take responsibility for the clean energy they generate and the corresponding environmental benefits in their ESG reports. However, purchasing and budgeting for RECs can be a challenge for most companies.

“Accounting and organizational constraints often prevent companies from purchasing the RECs they need to meet their ESG goals,” said Vihann Kong, Senior Executive Director at Ampion. “Our innovative Ampion+ product addresses these challenges by combining community solar and RECs in a single transaction. We are proud to help The Wendy’s Company and its franchisees reduce their carbon footprint while saving money on their bottom line.”

The partnership comes as community solar continues to grow. A recent report from Wood Mackenzie, a global provider of data and analytics solutions for the renewables, energy and natural resources sectors, estimates that the total number of community installations could more than double in the next five years. Earlier this year, Ampion surpassed 1 GW of community solar generation under management.

For additional information:

Ampion Renewable Energy

Wendy’s Company