KINGSTON bakery Honey Bun (1982) Limited has been using a 20-kilowatt solar energy system for the past two months and has already witnessed a 14 per cent reduction in its electricity bills.

“This solar energy project is a US$250,000 investment by Honey Bun,” said Herbert Chong, co-founder and executive chairman of the company at the May 27 unveiling at the bakery’s 26 Retirement Crescent headquarters in Kingston. “We have already invested US$50,000 in this phase, and we are committed to completing this five-year project.”

“This initiative will help us to reduce our carbon footprint, and we hope, will set an example for other growing businesses to follow,” he continued.

The 20-kilowatt, 94 photovoltaic panel system represents the first phase of Honey Bun’s planned 100-kilowatt installation and is one facet of the 34-year-old bakery’s expansion drive. Last year, it acquired a 20,000-square-foot property, which will be the foundation of a factory addition.

At its annual general meeting in February, the company outlined plans it said would reduce its carbon footprint while allowing it to maintain global standards and cement its position as a world-leading baking facility. The solar system was the central plank.

Chong described the company’s foray into renewable energy as another milestone in its journey and said the move reiterated the company’s commitment to efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Director General of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Vivian Brown touted the project for reducing operational costs, increasing competitiveness, and creating more jobs.

“The high cost of energy has for a long time been placing a strain on our economy… the team here at Honey Bun has clearly demonstrated that this (switching to renewable energy) can be done,” Brown said.

David Pijuan, director of Sofos Jamaica Limited, the company which designed and installed the solar energy system, called the move brave.

“Honey Bun is brave enough to go solar. It is a big effort, but at the end [of the 100-kilowatt project], it is predicted that the system will produce 50 to 60 per cent of the electricity used in the facility,” Pijuan said.

Honey Bun was founded by Herbert and Michelle Chong, who serve as chairman and CEO respectively. Its range of baked goods include donuts, breads, buns, cheese breads, raisin buns, cinnamon rolls, and Goldie cakes.