In an effort to expand its alternative energy portfolio, The Home Depot plans to implement solar installations on 50 of its stores’ unused rooftops. The average roof at these stores is approximately 104,000 square feet and each will accommodate roughly 1,000 panels.
This solar project will reduce electricity grid demand by 30-35% per year at each store, which is the equivalent of the power supplied to 2,300 average homes in the U.S. annually.
“Our alternative energy projects are important elements of our sustainability and operations efforts as they reduce carbon emissions while also lowering our energy costs,” says David Hawkins, Vice President of Labor and Operations for The Home Depot.
The company is working on 20 solar installations in New Jersey; 8 in Connecticut, Maryland and Washington, D.C.; and 22 in California and New York, 6 of which will use Tesla Powerpacks to store and dispatch additional power. The solar energy from this project will increase its alternative energy footprint to more than 130 MW, and the company hopes to utilize 135 MW of
alternative energy by 2020.
Other projects in The Home Depot’s alternative and renewable energy portfolio include:
- Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) in Delaware and Massachusetts
- Fuel cells at over 170 stores and distribution centers
- The Los Mirasoles Wind Farm near McAllen, TX
- The Zoplioapan Wind Farm in central Mexico
