FREDERICK, Md. - BP Solar announced Tuesday that it won a bid to develop 4.3 megawatts of solar energy systems for seven Wal-Mart stores in California.
BP Solar will sell the energy produced by the solar modules and operate and maintain the systems.
Wal-Mart will not need to pay an upfront capital investment and the company will receive all of the renewable energy credits (RECs) associated with the energy output of the systems.
“Momentum is building in the domestic and global marketplace and BP Solar is building market share through capital investment not only in manufacturing capacity but in innovative customer offers,” said BP Solar CEO Lee Edwards. “This project will prove that solar electric systems are economical and environmentally friendly from a business perspective by increasing energy security and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. By working together, companies like BP and Wal-Mart help make solar more affordable for everyone.”
BP Solar’s involvement is part of a larger project to include 22 Wal-Mart locations in Hawaii and California. The solar power production from the 22 sites is estimated to be as much as 20 million kWh per year.
Each system will supply 30 percent of the power for the store it is installed on. Wal-Mart estimates that the solar power systems will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6,500 to 10,000 metric tons annually.