BP, SunEdison and PowerLight will be the suppliers of the solar material. In the first phase, the equipment will be installed only in two states, namely California and Hawaii. The plan willl not only cover Wal-Mart stores, but also Sam's Club warehouses and even a distribution center. SunEdison will provide the four solar power systems in Hawaii and four in California, while PowerLight and BP Solar will each supply seven systems in California, totalling 22 solar centers. 

The solar systems will be able to provide up to 30% of the power needs at each one of these stores.

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

 

The retailing giant has been lately trying to reduce its energy consumption, by means of experimental supercenters with lower energy use (around 20% less) than regular ones.

With this solar initiative Wal-Mart estimates that all the systems will be able to generate a combined 20 million kWh of electricity per year, thus creating many renewable energy credits that Wal-Mart is expected to keep. 

This is great news for the solar industry. With over 1,000 discount stores and more than 3,000 supercenters, Wal-Mart has an impressive amount of available spaces that could be perfectly valid for solar facilities. Due to today's public demand for more environmentally concerned companies, many of these are turning green in an effort to increase brand value and thus sales. Wal-Mart, often admired but also criticized due to its focus on cost savings and huge market power, surely sees great opportunities here.

For additional information:

www.walmart.com