MAS completes first phase of ‘Photon,’ largest solar roof initiative in Sri Lanka

• Leading apparel manufacturer is transforming rooftops into lucrative green real estate

For MAS Holdings, diversification has come organically alongside the company’s evolution over the past three decades from Sri Lankan contract manufacturer to one of the leading apparel tech companies in South Asia. 

Roof rentals however, was not a business vertical the company had in mind. Today, 48,000 solar panels across 18 rooftops later, MAS Holdings has discovered new value for elevated real estate, successfully completing the first phase of one of the largest multi-site roof mounted solar initiatives in the region. 

The numbers make the ROI clear; one million square feet of rooftop generating 21.85 MWh of electricity. What’s more, a feed-in-tariff scheme called Net Plus introduced by the government of Sri Lanka provides a 20-year agreement with the country’s public utility company to export electricity harvested to the National Grid at a preferential tariff rate, generating a supplementary income for MAS, a lucrative and rapid return on the initial $ 12.5 million investment. 

Project Photon

MAS Holdings has pioneered, collaborated and supported highly impactful projects within the space of environmental sustainability over the past three decades by directing its efforts towards three key areas of focus; Products, Lives and Planet. Environmental commitments are continuously integrated to the company’s core manufacturing processes and its ecosystem through a key pillar labelled ‘Our Planet Changed for Good’, where MAS focuses on making positive changes for the long-term. 

Renewable energy is a key area of focus in addressing climate change for MAS, with its first solar installation dating back to 2008 at MAS Intimates Thurulie, Sri Lanka – the world’s first purpose built LEED Platinum Certified Apparel Factory. 

This culture of early adoption led to MAS’ transition to biomass in 2010, followed by a few small-scale installations with the advent of solar; 275kW at Linea Aqua Hanwella and a 300kW installation at Intimate Fashions India commissioned in 2014 – one of MAS’ two overseas solar installations to date. With their success, 2015 saw an installation of 1MW at MAS Matrix, Sri Lanka – the largest such project in South Asia at the time. 

In 2016 MAS introduced its long-term sustainability strategy with a strong commitment to source energy from renewables in its attempt to reduce its emission footprint. This plan was set in motion in 2017 with the launch of MAS’ solar energy drive ‘Photon’ – named after the particle representing a quantum of light.

A 30MW project spread across three phases, Photon’s biggest rooftop installation at present – 1.95MW at Bodyline Horana – is among the largest singular rooftop solar installations in the country. With the completion of Phase I, MAS Holdings has expanded its existing renewable efforts, thus taking its renewable energy generation to over 50% of its consumption, making significant strides in its journey on climate action.

Diversifying into clean energy

Photon was initially established by MAS to manage the design, contracting, government relations and maintenance of solar projects, but has today rapidly and successfully evolved into a new business vertical for the diversified conglomerate. 

Photon’s implementation enabled MAS to create a blueprint for rooftop real estate, for other like-minded corporates to follow. With existing rooftop leases in Sri Lanka structured solely to address the installation of communication towers atop buildings, MAS engaged a team of professional property valuers to arrive at a market rate, standardising and setting a national benchmark for solar rooftop rentals in Sri Lanka. Photon pays each MAS facility a monthly roof rental based on this standardized market rate for square feet utilised.

The pioneering nature and mega scale of the multi-site project resulted in partnerships with domain experts, collaborations with public utility authorities, thorough structural and geographical evaluations, and in-depth research and analysis in rooftop solar systems, creating a new team of cross-functional talent at MAS with tactical knowledge within the energy domain. 

The Group engaged the services of three EPC contractors; Fentons Ltd., Nikini Automation Systems Ltd. and ICC Green Energy Solutions Ltd., segregating projects geographically for efficient project management and execution. 

With weather monitors linked to all 18 locations across the island from the north to the south, project Photon also makes MAS the first and only corporate entity with comprehensive real-time and historical solar irradiance measurements. Such previously unavailable data can now be utilized for effective research on solar energy yield and its utilisation based on geographical location and climate conditions – crucial factors for future renewable investments. 

From benchmark to mainstream

Even though the pandemic may have slowed its momentum, Solar is still considered a global growth industry. As The Davos Agenda 2021 concluded in late January, the framework for a new initiative was launched by the World Economic Forum together with cities and organisations around the world: Net-Zero Carbon Cities. This multi-year initiative rethinks urban ecosystems, charting a course towards a net-zero, nature-positive economy. Among the key areas of focus is clean electrification. 

This is why even as MAS readies to sign off on Phase II of Project Photon, the company continues to focus on making its diversified energy business more sustainable by looking into innovative and affordable energy storage options, resulting in energy self-sufficient manufacturing facilities. MAS is also thinking long-term and looking at closing the loop of the solar energy cycle by identifying and studying environmentally friendly approaches to dispose and recycle solar panels at the end of their extensive lifespan.

As rooftop solar systems steadily continue to become mainstream and corporates utilize their position of influence to ameliorate climate change, there are companies like MAS Holdings who go one step further to set ambitious, science-backed goals that are expedited by innovation, and driven by sustainable growth of both industries and economies.

Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, MAS Holdings is one of South Asia’s largest design-to-delivery solutions providers in the realm of apparel and textile for over 30 years in operation. Today, the $ 2 billion conglomerate is the largest apparel and textile manufacturer in South Asia, and manages a more diverse portfolio of businesses powered by over 95,000 people across the world.