Haverhill, MA –Swix Sports USA, the U.S. distributor of ski accessory brands Swix, Toko and Uvex  as well as Swenor roller-skis and Dermatone, has signed an agreement with Leewood Realty to provide up to 95 percent of their electrical requirements from a 343-kilowatt solar panel system installed on the roof of the central Swix warehouse in Haverhill.

The $1.5M project includes a new reflective roof and an array of solar panels that covers the roof of the 53,000 square foot warehouse.

The installation is the newest piece of Swix Sport USA’s long-term strategy to go green. Swix’s new facility features high efficiency heating systems, motion controlled lighting throughout the warehouse and a self regulated low flow water system.  The opportunity to partner with Leewood Realty in this solar project combined with other green features built into the Haverhill facility, are some of the primary reasons this site was selected for Swix Sport USA’s relocation in the summer of 2011.

The solar project became fully operational last Thursday, as solar power generated from the solar array began feeding the grid. In addition to providing for the electrical needs of the Swix office and warehouse operations, additional energy is sold to the local energy utility, providing a renewable source of power for the region.

“I am very pleased with how the solar project has developed. Working closely with Peter Schwarz of Leewood Realty on the $1.5 million dollar project was a rewarding experience that places Swix at the forefront of the ski industry in terms of environmental sensitivity,” said Steven Poulin, CEO of Swix Sport USA. “With climate change a constant factor in our business I felt that this project was important for Swix, even after this difficult season.”

The projected yearly energy production of the solar project is approximately 400,000-kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This displaces 608,000 pounds of CO₂, and equals the greenhouse emissions of 31,000 gallons of gasoline or the electricity needs of 34 homes for one year, project officials indicate.