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Buildings Image Credit: Walmart

Published on March 4th, 2013 | by Adam Johnston

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Walmart Advances Solar Capacity In Hawaii Stores

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March 4th, 2013 by  

Walmart continues to push itself as a leader in sustainability. Recently the retail giant — along with SunEdison — completed solar projects in three of Walmart’s Hawaii stores.

The three stores in Kapolei, Kailua-Kona and Kahului are all part of an ambitious goal to  ensure all Walmart stores energy is supplied by 100% renewable sources.

Image Credit: Walmart

Image Credit: Walmart

A total of greater than 400,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) will come from the stores 311 kilowatt (KW) systems. That’s the equivalent of removing 67 cars off the road in one year, or wiping out 9,600 tons of carbon emissions within a ten-year span.

“We are committed to making decisions that are not only good for business and the environment, but also allow us to pass on savings to our customers,” said Hawaii Walmart Market Manager Rey Armijo. “We’re excited about the expansion of our solar program in the islands and this important step towards our goal of being supplied 100 percent by renewable energy,” he said

Walmart has been busy in recent years promoting cleantech initiatives, and changing their reputation originally as a foe of the environment, with 240 renewable energy projects currently under way globally.

Some key projects include installing it’s 100th California solar system in San Diego’s College Avenue store, and starting their first industrialized wind turbine project in Red Bluff, California. On the international level, the company has solar projects under way  in the UK, Canada, and China.

These renewable energy initiatives have not gone unnoticed, as Walmart is the third biggest green purchaser in the Forbes 500, along with the second largest green retail purchaser in the US.

The scope and scale of Walmart’s renewable energy projects should give cleantech gurus some hope, as Walmart is striving to be a sustainability champion. While some critics will condemn the companies current and past environmental mistakes (which Walmart should be held accountable for) it does not hurt that the world’s largest retailer is showing a major interest in green power, even if it’s just for the bottom line.

Main source: Walmart

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About the Author

Is currently studying at the School of the Environment Professional Development program in Renewable Energy from the University of Toronto. Adam graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a three-year B.A. combined major in Economics and Rhetoric, Writing & Communications. Adam also writes for Solar Love and also owns his own part time tax preparation business. His eventual goal is to be a cleantech policy analyst, and is currently sharpening his skills as a renewable energy writer. You can follow him on Twitter @adamjohnstonwpg or at www.adammjohnston.wordpress.com.


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  • Antonio Matamoros

    What are the projected ROI for Walmart and these kind of solar projects? Thanks!

  • http://twitter.com/Rose_Begonia Rose Begonia

    Awesome news for Hawaii!

    Also, Adam, I think you mean Kahului :)

    • http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan

      Thanks. :D

  • Cindy Nawilis

    Also a no-brainer because of both the federal and state tax credit for installing commercial PV. The question is, will they do the same in other states that don’t offer as high of incentives? If they do, then it’s laudable.

    • http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan

      They actually have done so in many states. Check out: cleantechnica.com/tag/walmart

      It makes sense a lot of places.

      • Cindy Nawilis

        Thanks for sharing. Really great to see that they’re adding a lot in California, where I used to live. Solar panels make sense there, especially in the Southern part. It’s a shame how little residential panels there are…

        • http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan

          Yes, it really is. But growth is picking up, and costs have come down tremendously.

  • http://twitter.com/Barry_S_Scott Barry Scott

    This is great news, every business should follow their lead. In Hawaii, where the bulk of electricity is generated using petroleum, and where prices are triple most other states, this is a no-brainer.

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