Home Depot outfitting more stores with solar rooftop panels
The Home Depot continues to work towards its goal to become 100% reliant on renewable electricity sources.
The home improvement giant, which has pledged to produce or procure 100% renewable electricity equivalent to the electricity needs for all of its facilities by 2030, is working with renewable energy resource provider DSD Renewables to install 13 megawatts (MW) of rooftop solar across 25 store locations in California.
[Read more: Home Depot slashes energy usage]
Home Depot will begin construction of the solar panels in early 2023. Upon completion, the solar array is expected to generate more than 17 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually that directly power the store locations. This would be the equivalent of removing 2,648 gasoline-powered cars from the road each year, according to DSD figures.
“Reducing The Home Depot’s environmental impact is essential to our efforts to build a better business, workplace and world,” said Ron Jarvis, VP and chief sustainability officer for The Home Depot. “Harnessing power from the sun is essential to our renewable electricity aims, and we’re happy to work with DSD as we expand our solar program and continue to invest in alternative energy solutions.”
“Our teams have worked hand-in-hand to design solar solutions to optimally power the portfolio of 25 stores in California and effectively reduce demand on the grid,” said Jason Chiang, senior director of direct origination at DSD. “We are excited to deploy our industry-leading capabilities across this significant new portfolio and play a role in helping The Home Depot achieve its sustainability goals.”
“This project marks 98 stores that will have deployed solar rooftops with DSD,” said Dan O’Brien, VP of direct origination at DSD. “The Home Depot shares our commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and we applaud the expansion of its renewable energy program.”
DSD is continuing to work on projects with The Home Depot to broaden its solar energy usage in New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland and Massachusetts, with additional projects planned in Arizona, California, Illinois and New York.
Home Depot builds toward low-carbon future
Home Depot is attempting to reduce its carbon footprint by improving the efficiency of corporate operations and investing in alternative energy solutions. Since 2010, The Home Depot has reduced electricity consumption in its U.S. stores by 50% and currently operates rooftop solar farms on more than 80 stores and electricity-generating fuel cells in more than 200 stores.
The Home Depot currently purchases solar power from a 75 MW facility and is under contract for another 50 MW of solar capacity. The company also purchases energy from a 50 MW wind facility, and is purchasing 100 megawatts (MW) of solar energy from National Grid Renewables at its Noble solar and storage project in Denton County, Texas. This purchase will generate the approximate equivalent of nearly 8% of The Home Depot's total electricity usage.
The retailer expects the combined annual renewable energy generation from these agreements would be enough to power more than 500 stores. The Home Depot’s energy initiatives are included in the company’s 2022 ESG Report, which provides updates on its progress centered around three environmental, social and governance (ESG) pillars: people, operating sustainably and strengthening communities.
At the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2022, Atlanta-based The Home Depot operated a total of 2,319 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The company employs approximately 500,000 associates.