According to the 2013 Solar Means Business report, Walmart is the leader among American companies going solar, with 89 MW of installed capacity at 215 locations.
The report was compiled by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar), and reveals the top 25 corporate users of solar in the country, which are: Walmart, Costco, Kohl’s, Apple, IKEA, Macy’s, Johnson & Johnson, McGraw Hill, Staples, Campbell’s Soup, U.S. Foods, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kaiser Permanente, Volkswagen, Walgreens, Target, Safeway, FedEx, Intel, L’OREAL, General Motors, Toys “R” Us, White Rose Foods, Toyota, and Dow Jones & Company.
Together, these 25 corporations alone have 445 MW of installed solar capacity, 48 percent more than in 2012, across 30 states and Puerto Rico.
According to SEIA and Vote Solar, these 25 companies have around 1000 solar installations all up, and 117 million people – or a third of the country’s population – live within 20 miles of one of these solar installations!
Credit: Sun Power
“The list of companies moving to clean, affordable solar energy reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of the most successful corporations in America,” said SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch.
“These iconic brands are leading the way when it comes to efforts to reduce our nation’s dangerous dependence on foreign energy sources. They’re also helping to create thousands of American jobs, boost the U.S. economy and improve our environment,” he continued. “At the same time, they’re reducing operating expenses, which benefits both their customers and shareholders.”
“For years, the promise of solar was always ‘just around the corner.’ Well, solar has turned the corner, and found itself on Main Street, USA. These companies – titans of American business – may have vastly different products, business models, and geographic locations, but they all have something in common: they know a good deal when they see one, and they are going solar in a big way,” said Adam Browning, Executive Director of Vote Solar.
Many of these companies have plans to use 100 percent renewable energy, or to be carbon neutral, in the coming years, and solar is playing a key role.
“As we work toward our ambitious goal to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, solar energy continues to be an important part of our renewable energy portfolio,” said Kim Saylors-Laster, vice president for energy, Walmart. “With our size and scale, Walmart is in a unique position to encourage innovation and accelerate the adoption of cost-effective, clean energy alternatives, including solar power.”
“Solar energy has played a significant role supporting our corporate goal of promoting the use of 125 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020,” said Rob Threlkeld, General Motors manager of renewable energy.
You can see the solar installations from the top corporate users on this interactive map.
