By Shanice Punnett
Queens Center launched a solar power initiative during Earth Week at a special community event at the mall.
Macerich is marking a new solar power effort at 11 of its malls — including Queens Center in Elmhurst — and in Arizona, Colorado, California, Connecticut and New York that will produce 12 megawatts of electricity every year. This is enough energy to power 10,000 homes.
Installation will take place at Queens Center during the next few months and involves placing solar panels on the rooftops and parking garage. A total of 696 panels will be installed.
It is part of a comprehensive sustainability effort at Macerich properties that has already reduced the company’s carbon footprint by 129,687 metric tons since 2008.
The shopping center giant said it is committed to renewable energy, water conservation, green operational practices, recycling and solid waste management.
These measures range from recycling in the food court and smarter HVAC systems to energy-efficient shopping center design.
Other sustainability actions currently practiced by Queens Center include the use of electric vehicles by staff, the option of reusable shopping bags offered by retailers, the use of green cleaning products at the mall wherever and whenever possible, new lighting protocols to minimize energy use, recycling of plastic bags and glass and a filtered water system in favor of bottled water.
The company also has placed energy reduction devices on escalators, which yields a 20 percent savings in kilowatt-hours. The operating hours of escalators, elevators and air conditioning have been moved closer to store opening hours to conserve energy, while continuing to provide shoppers and retailers with a comfortable atmosphere.
The center uses a single waste stream set to recycle cardboard, paper, glass and plastic.
