A North Carolina-based nonprofit banking group has gone solar with 742 panels installed atop the roof of its Winston-Salem operations center.
The solar project converts a former three-story Macy’s store at Hanes Mall into an operations center for Truliant Federal Credit Union. As part of the adaptive reuse project, the 51,000-square-foot rooftop now contains enough solar panels to generate 352 kilowatts (kW) of on-site electricity at capacity.
The Hanes Mall operations center and rooftop is now fully operational. Truliant Federal Credit Union serves about 280,000 members in three states and manages $3.6 billion in assets.
“Just as we work to be good stewards of our members’ finances, Truliant is committed to doing the same for our environment,” Todd Hall, president and CEO of the credit union, said. “Rooftop solar panels are just one of several sustainability initiatives in place at our operations center that help to move corporate social responsibility forward locally.”
North Carolina-based Renu Energy Solutions installed the rooftop solar system. The panels are estimated to generate close to 485,000 kWh of on-site, carbon-free electricity in the first year. North Carolina ranks fourth nationally in total solar installed capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) tabulations.
The Truliant operations center rooftop installation is the first such solar project at Hanes Mall. The credit union also has installed a building management and energy efficiency series of upgrades, including LED lighting for interiors and parking lots, as well as HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling) improvements.
“This project brings more attention to purpose-driven projects,” Mark Owens, president and CEO of Greater Winston-Salem, Inc., a community and tourism organization. “This is one of the many ways Truliant is committed to the long-term success of Winston-Salem.”
As of 2023’s first quarter, North Carolina has achieved 8,407 MW (8.4-GW) of solar power capacity, according to SEIA. The total solar investment statewide is nearing $11.5 billion, while capacity could grow another 1.7 GW within five years, the SEIA report reads.
