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Bed Bath and Beyond

SEIA Identifies Top 10 Users Of Commercial Solar

by Steve Hanley November 28, 2016

When it comes to US business choosing to power their stores and factories with solar energy, the critical factor is money. Commercial solar prices have fallen by 58% since 2012 and by 16% year over year in 2016. In many cases, it’s just cheaper to install commercial solar power systems than continue to buy electricity from the local utility. Large US corporations now benefit from more than 1,000 megawatts of installed solar power. That’s up from 300 megawatts in 2012.

In its latest annual report entitled Solar Means Business, the Solar Energy Industries Association of America puts the spotlight on the 10 largest users of commercial solar energy. About half of them are retail store chains. Another quarter are distribution centers and data centers.

Target leads the way with 147 megawatts of installed solar from 300 installations. Walmart is right behind with 145 megawatts from 464 solar systems. Target is on pace to install another 70 megawatts of solar power in 2016 while Walmart has 21 megawatts of new solar power planned for this year. The full list of corporations in the top 10 is:

1. Target — 147 megawatts
2. Walmart — 145 megawatts
3. Prologis — 108 megawatts
4. Apple — 94 megawatts
5. Costco — 51 megawatts
6. Kohl’s — with 50 megawatts
7. IKEA — 44 megawatts
8. Macy’s — 39 megawatts
9. General Growth Properties — 30 megawatts
10. Hartz Mountain — 23 megawatts
10. Bed, Bath and Beyond — 23 megawatts

IKEA has installed solar systems at almost 90% of its 38 US locations, by far winning in relative terms. General Motors uses solar at 31% of its facilities and Johnson & Johnson is third in the percentage of its sites with solar power at 28%.

November 28, 2016 0 comment

PV Rooftop Solar

SunPower Offers Integrated Solar Power Management System

by Jake Richardson October 30, 2015

written by Jake Richardson

The new SunPower Helix integrated solar power energy management system for commercial rooftops provides high-performance solar panels combined with mounting hardware and energy intelligence software. This plug and play system makes installation easier and faster.

“Integral to each Helix component, from the solar cells to the energy management system, is SunPower’s 30 years of innovation and experience delivering some of the world’s most efficient, reliable solar technology,” explained Tom Werner, president and CEO of SunPower.

Bed Bath and Beyond will be one of the first Helix customers and will have systems installed on 8 stores next year. The major retailer has already worked with SunPower and has about 17.5 MW of the leading solar power company’s solar panels in operation.

“The cost savings we expect to see with the new SunPower Helix systems, such as plug-and-play power stations that greatly reduce installation time, will enable Bed Bath & Beyond to grow our solar program more quickly, delivering operational savings at more of our facilities. Minimizing the complexities of solar system installation is critical for keeping projects on schedule and meeting return on investment goals. Helix is designed to meet those challenges,” explained Robert Eckhardt, head of architecture and renewables development for Bed Bath & Beyond.

Making solar power more convenient to install and manage is a smart strategy because both residential and commercial customers want ease of use and installation. Integrated solutions typically do the heavy lifting so customers don’t have to – in this case faster installations mean reduced costs as well.

Bed Bath and Beyond is a very mainstream retailer and one that is well recognized by many members of the public. When successful companies that have huge brand recognition choose solar power to help support their businesses, it is great PR for solar power.

SunPower is in a sense partnering with them, and this arrangement appears to be mutually beneficial. The Bed Bath and Beyond installations are expected to begin in January, 2016. Already about 20 MW of Helix systems created by SunPower have been sold.

Other large retailers like IKEA and Kohl’s have been generating electricity using their own rooftop solar power systems too, and for years.

The cost of solar panels has dropped so much in recent years that solar power appears poised to increase dramatically in residential and commercial installations.

Image Credit: SunPower

October 30, 2015 0 comment

Investment Market Research PV Rooftop Solar Solar $Solar Projects Solar Research

US Commercial Solar Energy Continues Gaining Steam

by Adam Johnston October 17, 2014

written by Adam Johnston

US commercial solar energy continues gaining steam, with Walmart leading the way in terms of total installed solar power capacity (despite recent criticism for funding anti-solar organizations).

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has just come out with its third annual Solar Means Business report, showcasing the most recent trends in corporate use of solar power.

GM Solar Canopy via SEIA. Photo Credit: General Motors

US businesses, governments, and nonprofits installed for a second year in a row over 1,000 MW of solar power capacity. A total of 41,803 businesses, nonprofits, and governments have a cumulative capacity of 4,531 MW.

Meanwhile, large corporations lead the way in commercial installations. A total of 569 MW were installed from 25 top corporation at 1,110 locations. That’s an increase from 445 MW (28%) last year and 279 MW (103%) two years ago.

Walmart again led the way amongst the top 25 corporations in installations, with 105.10 MW.

Rounding out the top five installers were Kohl’s (50.2 MW), Costco (48.1 MW), Apple (40.7 MW), and IKEA (39.1 MW).

J.C. Penney Company, Inc., is installing solar power systems on 9 of its stores in California and New Jersey. Photo Credit: SunPower

IKEA has solar power on more of its roofs, 90% of them, than any other company. Photo Credit: IKEA

Photo Credit: Macy’s

FedEx Distribution Facility. Photo credit: SunPower

Some solar power installers on the roof of a Walmart. Photo Credit: Walmart

Target also made big gains this year, going from 16^th to 8^th, with 14.9 MW added.

IKEA had the highest percentage of locations having solar installed, at an impressive 90%. General Motors was second at 43%.

Falling solar prices have been critical to growing commercial interest in solar. Cost of commercial solar power plants in 2014 Q2 fell 1% on a year-over-year basis, and more than 45% in two years.

SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch said commercial investment in solar has cut 549,296 metric tons of carbon emissions, or the equivalent of 62 million gallons of gas.

“What do Walmart, Costco and Apple have in common besides selling cell phones and computers? These iconic brands, and many others like them, are all investing big in solar energy,” Resch said.

However, despite big business going green and investing in solar, it has been put under public scrutiny in recent weeks.

Just last week, a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) criticized Walmart owners, the Walton family, for funding groups including American Legal Exchange Council (ALEC) and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) that oppose renewable energy policy.

Also, Naomi Klein’s new book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate, has chastised partnerships between big business and big green organizations as the solution for environmental problems. Klein argues companies, including Walmart, have pushed for global policies which increased carbon emissions and encouraged urban sprawl.

While ILSR and Klein have been rightly critical of big business environmental abuses, large corporations are not going to crumble in the foreseeable future, so we really need them to be on our side. Business sees renewables, including solar, as a cost benefit to them in reducing energy expenses. That view will only increase, as will corporate solar installations, so we should at least be happy about that.

The 3rd Solar Means Business report highlights a more pro-active road taken to solve climate problems. Let’s celebrate the success of US commercial solar energy, while holding those companies accountable when needed.

Source: Solar Energy Industries Association

October 17, 2014 0 comment