Walgreens, the largest drugstore chain in the U.S., will add another 200 solar panel installations at stores across the country.
The drugstore giant is working with SoCore Energy on the installations in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, which will bring the company’s total number of solar energy system up to 350.
“We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and leading the retail industry in use of green technology,” said Thomas Connolly, Walgreens vice president of facilities development.
“Because we operate more than 8,000 stores, we believe our implementation of sustainable energy technology can have a significant positive impact on the nation’s environment while also creating jobs,” he continued.
Credit: Walgreens
The installations are set to produce 13.5 kWh of electricity each year, about the same as offsetting the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of over 1,400 homes.
Chicago-based SoCore Energy will own and operate the installations; SoCore Energy also worked on installations at 53 Walgreens stores in Ohio.
“SoCore is proud to be developing one of the most important and sizeable distributed solar platforms ever constructed in the United States,” said President and CEO of SoCore Energy Pete Kadens.
“We love working with companies that strive to be leaders, and after we are done here, Walgreens will have more solar locations than any other company in the US,” he said.
The collaboration was applauded by Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s Mayor. “I commend Walgreens and SoCore on this innovative partnership and the strong commitment shown by these two Chicago companies to renewable energy,” he said.
“These companies are demonstrating what we in Chicago know to be true – that environmentally friendly business is good business and that there are real economic opportunities associated with the new technologies and advances that are associated with the greening of our cities,” Emanuel concluded.
These solar installations are part of Walgreens’ commitment to reduce energy use by 20 percent by 2020.
