Wal-Mart, a company which many environmentalists have traditionally associated with the words capitalism and pollution, may be taking a big leap into energy sustainability. Just last week the company announced on Earth Day that it is doubling its use of solar power over the next 18 months by putting solar arrays on the roofs of 10 to 20 of its stores and distribution centers in California. Just talk? No. Earlier this month, Wal-Mart finished installing solar panels on 18 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores and 2 warehouses in Hawaii and California. While only a tiny fraction of Wal-Mart’s more than 6,000 stores worldwide, this is an important first step from a leader in the retail industry. According to a news release, all of the companies solar projects will result in enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 2,600 households and will keep 22,500 metric tons of CO2 (the amount produced by 4,000 cars) from entering the atmosphere each year.
While Wal-Mart may only just now be jumping onto the solar panel bandwagon, other major retail stores have made use of the sun’s energy for while now. Kohl’s Department Stores, for example, unveiled a plan in 2007 that will make it the largest single purchaser of solar power equipment in history. As of April 2009, Kohl’s has completed solar installations at 67 stores in California, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Connecticut – with a majority of them in California. Another 20 stores are currently at some stage of having solar systems implemented. The average Kohl’s store with such a system has 2,340 solar panels (the largest, at a Kohl’s Distribution Center in California, has 6,208 panels and generates 1 megawatt of power – it alone could power 400 households for one year).
Whole Foods Market, a grocery store chain that specializes in organic and whole foods, could perhaps be said to be leading solar energy use in the grocery industry. Like Wal-Mart, Whole Foods also made an announcement this past Earth Day that it has contracted to add solar power systems to at least 20 more of its stores, bringing the total number of its stores using solar power up to 30. In the near future, the company says it hopes to have 70 locations (or about one quarter of its stores) operating off of solar power. Amazingly, Whole Foods has a commitment to offset 100 percent of its use of nonrenewable energy with the use of solar panels, wind power, and by retrofitting their stores to be more energy efficient.
In addition to the demand from consumers that big box retailers become more environmentally friendly, a big reason companies are turning to solar energy is because of state and federal tax incentives. It comes as no surprise then that many pilot programs for retail solar use (like those of Kohl’s and Walmart), are set up in California – a state with perhaps the best tax incentives for going solar. In the first quarter of 2009 alone, homes and businesses in California have installed a whopping 78 megawatts of solar panels. Over the next 10 years, the state plans on spending 3.3 billion dollars to install 3,000 megawatts of panels.
While powering businesses with solar energy has traditionally been too expensive for many companies to even consider, the technology is becoming increasingly affordable. In addition to state tax incentives, the Obama administration has unveiled federal breaks for solar panel purchasers as well. While the initial up-front costs of putting the systems in place may still be burdensome to some companies, the long term savings on power bills and benefit to the environment are more than worth the price.
In my opinion, companies should follow leaders like Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, and Whole Foods by turning to solar energy to power their stores. Likewise, states should follow California by providing generous tax breaks to companies who want to put these systems in place but are afraid of the upfront costs. I believe that within the next 20 years, each major retail store outlet in the country will have an expanse of beautiful, shimmering solar panels atop its roof – creating a brighter energy future for all of us.
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