Wal-Mart to Install Photovoltaic Systems on 22 Stores

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAPR796.htm

Today Wal-Mart Stores announced a major purchase of solar power from three solar power providers, BP Solar, SunEdison LLC, and PowerLight, a subsidiary of SunPower Corporation, for 22 combined Wal-Mart stores, Sam's Clubs and a distribution center in Hawaii and California.

As part of a pilot project to determine solar power viability for Wal-Mart, the total solar power production from the 22 sites is estimated to be as much as 20 million kWh (kilowatt- hours) per year. When fully implemented, the aggregate purchase could be one of the U.S., if not the world's, top-10 largest ever solar power initiatives.

"We are taking aggressive steps towards our goal of being supplied by 100 percent renewable energy," said Kim Saylors-Laster, vice president of energy for Wal-Mart. "The pilot project is yet another example of Wal-Mart's commitment to making decisions that are good for business and the environment."

"We applaud Wal-Mart's drive to increase its use of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and look forward to the long-term positive impact their efforts will have on our environment," said Ron Judkoff, director of the Buildings and Thermal Systems Center at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). "Wal-Mart's decision to take advantage of the economic and environmental benefits of solar power and energy efficiency technologies is a great step in the right direction."

<more>

SPWR
Industry-Electronic Equipment & Instruments
Exchange NASDAQ
More Details
EPS $.38
Volume 761,809
Avg. Daily Volume 1,244,248
Market Value $4,336,980,850
Shares Outstanding 77,377,000
% Owned by Institutions 105.0665
P/E Ratio 153.5263

Most WalMarts are vast warehouse-like buildings with flat roofs. To light the inside of these buildings, WalMart uses hundreds of large flourescent bulbs. In the super WalMarts, the number of bulbs needed to light the building can top a thousand.

Those flat roofs are perfect candidates for skylights. By letting the natural light in, Walmart would need to run far fewer bulbs and would save both energy and money. If the solar panels were used to power the remaining bulbs, they could end up with a daytime energy footprint near zero.

I don't know if they all do this, but the Costco near my home doesn't even turn its lights ON during the day. Their massive skylights illuminate the store so well that artificial illumination is only needed on heavily overcast days and after dark. Walmart could learn a thing or two from them.

But that is still a good idea.

That works out to about a 2MW power plant when measured as continuous power.

I think they could save greenhouse gases by just installing a small gas generator, since they wouldn't have to drive all the installation trucks and spend all the hours on promotion on the wonders of Walmart.

We'll file this with all the other "world's largest solar systems." Solar energy still doesn't produce a single exajoule of energy.