My eyes are wide... WalMart just announced that they're creating one of the 10 largest solar power projects in America and they're calling it "part of a pilot project." I guess these guys don't sweat the small stuff. If this is just a portion of their pilot project, I can't imagine what they might be planning down the road.
A couple months ago WalMart made a bit of a splash when it started actively searching for companies who might be able to help them install solar projects on hundreds of store roofs across the country. Their request for proposal included the possibility for over 300 solar roofs in seven states.
We got a bit skeptical when the story disappeared for a few months, but now it's back, and it's real. WalMart has accepted proposals from SunPower, BP Solar and SunEdison. These three companies will be installing solar projects on 22 WalMart stores in Hawaii and California.
They are certainly holding back from their original 300 roof proposal, we assume because they're waiting for the economics to make more sense, but 22 solar roofs is still a gigantic project. This shows a good deal more commitment solar power than simple PR. The project will produce more than 20 million KWh per year, and will probably have a maximum output of over 10 megawatts making it the largest private solar installation in the US, about six times larger than Google's gigantic solar roof.
Full Press Release Here
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written by PeakVT, May 09, 2007
Obviously MallWart will still be a net bad player if they actually install solar on their roofs, but it could encourge a lot of other retailers to follow suit. Big-box retail outlets in sunny states must have huge mid-afternoon electrical loads due to A/C compressors running flat-out trying to keep customers cool, and solar is a natural fit for that kind of load profile.
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written by sdfdsfs, May 09, 2007
like most large installations.
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written by Hank, May 09, 2007
Generally fake panels are only used when aesthetics are involved, and since no one cares what the top of a wal-mart story looks like, there won't be any fakes. Of course, The number of panels is kinda irrelevant. What matters is the energy output...it it will be significant.
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written by Jono, May 10, 2007
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=596541
Kohl's is working to roll out a 35 million kilowatt-hours in the first year.
Kohl's is working to roll out a 35 million kilowatt-hours in the first year.
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