Costco Installs Solar Power on Roof of California Warehouse

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. -- Costco Wholesale Corp., Issaquah, Wash., announced the installation of its second solar-powered energy system on the roof of a warehouse here. SunEdison, Baltimore, provided the solar system, which is expected to supply in excess of 725,000 kilowatts annually over a projected life span of 25 years, saving more than $3.8 million in power bills. The clean energy produced by the system will prevent the emission of an estimated 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually, or the equivalent of planting 2,800 acres of trees over the 25-year life of the system, Costco said. “This solar roof gives us an important addition to the list of technologies available to us to reduce our purchases of electricity and reduce our impact on the environment,” said Craig Peal, Costco‘s assistant vice president for energy/building controls, in a statement.