A Sunny Disposition

By Ryan Carter

GLENDORA – Sam’s Club is catching some rays.

The retail giant completed the installation of a new solar power system that will provide nearly 30 percent of the store’s electricity.

Wal-Mart, which owns Sam’s Club, announced last week that 3,122 solar panels, tilted at about 10- to 20-degree angles on the structure’s roof, will catch enough sun to provide about 879,000 kilowatt-hours per year at its Glendora store, said David Ozment, Wal-Mart’s director of energy.

“We’re excited about solar,” Ozment said. “We’d like to see it be a good fit for us on a broader scale. We’ve been pleased with what we’ve seen so far.”

The panels were installed through a partnership with provider BP Solar, which along with providers Sun Edison and SunPower, will help power a mix of more than 20 Wal-Marts and Sam’s Clubs and a distribution center in California and Hawaii, Ozment said.

Wal-Mart officials see the pilot program as part of a move toward using other forms of power and a chance to experiment with the technology, Ozment said.

“We’ve seen nothing in the pilot program that would discourage us from solar,” he said.

But realizing the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy remains distant.

Ozment acknowledged that state and federal tax incentives and credits make solar power – which is more expensive than coal- derived electricity – more feasible.

“It really does take significant incentives to make it cost- effective,” he said.

Wal-Mart officials are hoping that a Dec. 31 federal deadline to realize the advantages of such credits is extended.

The company’s move toward renewable energy parallels a trend among larger retailers looking to bolster their green portfolios.

In 2002, Whole Foods Market’s Berkeley store became the first major food retailer to introduce solar energy as its primary lighting power source, Whole Foods spokeswoman Ashley Hawkins said.

The company has opened a dozen stores using solar power, and it is looking to add more, she said.

“Supporting wise environmental practices is part of Whole Foods Market’s core values and strengthens our commitment to be a leader in environmental stewardship,” she said.

And earlier this year, Macy’s reportedly committed to installing more than eight megawatts of solar power in its California stores.

Ozment hoped the if large retailers can pool together to use solar power, the costs of using will come down in the next three to five years.

“Hopefully, our investment in solar will help move things along at a faster rate, whereby local, state and federal agencies will no longer be needed to make it more cost-effective,” Ozment said.

ryan.carter@sgvn.com

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