January 19, 2010
At 1 MW, Wal-Mart Completes its Largest Solar Array to Date
More than 5,300 solar panels at Wal-Mart’s Apple Valley distribution center in California will generate about a megawatt of electricity, reports LATimes blogs.
The ground-mounted installation covers about seven acres and provides sufficient power for the equivalent of 175 homes, reports GetSolar.
The panels will provide enough power for about 20 percent of the energy needs of the 1.3 million square foot distribution center, reports the High Desert Daily Press.
Earlier this month, Wal-Mart completed three more solar projects in California, bringing the giant retailer closer to its goal of using 100 percent renewable energy
Here is a fact sheet about Wal-Mart’s solar power use. Here’s another for wind energy.
Wal-Mart launched a solar pilot program in May 2007 followed by an expanded initiative on Earth Day 2009, which should double the retailer’s use of solar energy in California, adding solar installations at 10 to 20 facilities over the next 12 months.
The total solar effort across the state is expected to generate up to 32 gigawatt-hours of energy each year, while helping to avoid more than 10,000 metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions each year, and providing 20 to 30 percent of each facility’s electric needs.
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Reader Comments
What ashamed it takes so much land for so little production. We could have done the same thing on 1/2 acre for the 1MW production. Heck, give us a few months and we could offer them 100% Full Time production 24/7……from Solar and take them off the Grid!
Dave Brockes | January 23rd, 2010
What does it take to make the “Fact Sheet” link and “Wind Energy” links work? Who are the people to contact within Wal-Mart to discuss some of these issues and topics?
Dave Brockes | January 24th, 2010
Too much land, little power. Dont think it worthy at all ! 7 acres and we could have 7 dozen homes instead .. lol -> with panels on each home for its own functioning. What say dudes ?
Sandeep Vedagarbham | April 22nd, 2010
Let’s see …
7 acres to provide 20% of the electricity use of the distribution center of 1.3M square feet. But, wait, 1.3M square feet is about 80 acres!
So, multiplying the 7 acres by a factor of 5 to achieve 100% electricity supply would still only amount to less than half the square footage of the facility being supplied.
That’s not alot of land use. Nor is it a small amount of electricity. Though they could have used the roof space instead (for a higher initial installation cost).
Doug | April 22nd, 2010