HOUSTON, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TGS, a global provider of energy data and intelligence, unveiled the completion of its landmark solar energy parking canopy at its Houston operational headquarters, one of the largest commercial solar installations in Houston to date with a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 7. Additionally, TGS announced its recent acquisition of Prediktor, a data- and asset- management system designed for the future.
"Solar is the fastest growing energy source, is progressively affordable, and will provide TGS with significant cost savings for the future," said TGS Chief Executive Officer Kristian Johansen. "In addition, it provides business opportunities as the world is moving towards net-zero ambitions and we could not be more excited to be leading the movement in Houston. Thank you to City of Houston Councilwoman, Sallie Alcorn and County Judge Hidalgo's Senior Advisor, Chris Chu de Leon for aligning with TGS as we unveiled this much awaited solar carport installation."
TGS's recent acquisition of Prediktor will further accelerate its ambitions of becoming an integrated provider of all types of energy data. Prediktor has already installed its production optimization software on some of the largest solar plants in the world and will, under TGS ownership, target increased market presence in this rapidly growing market, which is essential to reach the world's climate targets.
The ribbon-cutting, held beneath the new carport solar installation, featured a time lapse video of the complete solar project construction from start to finish and an energy calculator highlighting the energy produced by the panels in real time. The program included remarks by TGS CEO, Kristian Johnson; City of Houston Councilwoman, Sallie Alcorn; County Judge Hidalgo's Senior Advisor, Chris Chu de Leon; and Freedom Solar CEO, Bret Biggart. Guests included the TGS board of directors, the Norwegian Consulate, EnerGeo Alliance, the RMR Group, TGS employees and Freedom Solar executives.
Alcorn and de Leon remarked on the project's alignment with the city's Resilient Houston and Climate Action Plans and the hope for more Houston companies to execute these types of projects in the coming years. de Leon presented TGS with a proclamation from the city of Houston and congratulated TGS for having one of the largest and most innovative solar projects in Houston to date. Bret Biggart, Freedom Solar CEO, touched on the design and installation of the landmark solar project, highlighted the importance of TGS' sustainability and renewable energy commitments and TGS's aggressive goals to be a net-zero company by 2030. Additionally, he touted Freedom Solar is offering TGS employees rebates on solar panel projects further solidifying Freedom's partnership with TGS.
The TGS installation consists of 15 solar arrays made up of 1,650 modules covering 210 spaces in the employee parking lot. The system will produce some 901,710 kilowatt hours (KWh) of energy annually and it is estimated the canopies will provide almost 60% of the Houston facility's daily energy consumption and costs, enabling TGS to slash its carbon dioxide emissions by 1.4 million pounds annually, the equivalent of planting nearly 11,000 trees a year, and helping to create a more stable, resilient Texas electricity grid.
In early 2021, TGS announced its commitment to being net zero in its Scope 1 emissions and 2 emissions by 2030. Transitioning the company's offices to renewable energy is critical to achieving this objective. TGS has undertaken significant sustainability efforts in other locations globally and recently began composting organic waste in its Houston headquarters and has diverted an astounding 21,799 pounds of waste from area landfills to date.
TGS conceptualized the Houston project and undertook it in partnership with The RMR Group, which manages the building that houses the TGS Houston headquarters. Austin-based Freedom Solar, the leading turnkey solar energy installer in Texas and the nation, designed and installed the solar canopy.
"Solar energy is progressively becoming more affordable and will provide TGS with tremendous cost savings year over year," said Johansen. "With the support of quality partners like RMR Group and Freedom Solar, we have been able to complete this project and make real progress toward greenhouse gas emissions and attaining our global net-zero goals."
About TGS
TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. In addition to a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, TGS offers specialized services such as advanced processing and analytics alongside cloud-based data applications and solutions. In addition to the company's operational headquarters in Houston, Texas, TGS has offices in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Rio de Janeiro, Botofogo, Brazil; Woking, UK; Oslo, Norway; and West Perth, Western Australia. For more information, visit www.tgs.com.
About Freedom Solar
Founded in 2007, Freedom Solar is the nation's leader in turnkey solar installations, providing high-quality, cost-effective, reliable solar solutions for residential and commercial markets nationwide. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Freedom Solar also has operations in Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, Virginia, West Virginia. Tesla Powerwall Certified Installer and the only SunPower® Master Dealer in Texas, the firm has installed more than 154 megawatts of solar panels since 2007, ranking as the 10th-largest solar installer in the U.S and the 3rd-largest in Texas. Freedom Solar has completed projects for numerous national and multinational corporate clients, including Whole Foods Market, Shake Shack, Office Depot, Holiday Inn Express, Home2 Suites by Hilton, The University of Texas at Austin and numerous automotive dealerships, such as Alfa Romeo, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Maserati, Subaru and Toyota. For more information, visit https://www.freedomsolarpower.com or follow @freedomsolarpwr on Twitter and @freedom_solar_power on Instagram.
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