Walmart announced that it will be expanding renewable energy efforts through utilization of lighter, low cost thin film solar technology. Walmart plans to add solar generating systems to 20 to 30 sites in California and Arizona.

From the announcement, the goals of the renewable energy project are as follows:

supply up to 20% to 30% of the total energy needs for each location

produce up to 22.5 million kw hours of clean energy per year – enough to power more than 1,750 homes annually

avoid producing more than 11,650 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, equal to taking more than 3,000 vehicles off the road for a year

add to the 31 current solar installations Walmart has in California and Hawaii

“By leveraging our global scale to become a more efficient company, we are able to lower our expenses and help develop markets for new technologies,” says Kim Saylors Laster, Walmart vice president of energy. “Developing and incorporating new renewable energy sources, like thin film, reduces energy price risk and aligns very well with our commitment to solving business challenges through technology.”

SolarCity will design, install, and maintain the new solar power systems. 500 green jobs are expected to be created in California and Arizona, as well as supporting green jobs at facilities in Ohio and California where the thin film is manufactured.

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