Wal-Mart to Install Solar in Puerto Rico

SN STAFF

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico — Wal-Mart Stores, Bentonville, Ark., announced today the planned deployment of rooftop solar arrays at three Wal-Mart locations, including one here, and at two Sam’s Clubs on the island of Puerto Rico.

The other Wal-Mart installations are in Manati and Ponce; the Sam’s Club installations are in Ponce and Bayamon. The solar program is made possible through a solar energy service agreement whereby SunEdison, Beltsville, Md., will design, deploy, operate and maintain over three megawatts of solar technologies across the five stores with no upfront cost to Wal-Mart. In return, Wal-Mart stores will use the energy being generated on its rooftops to offset demand from the grid and buy the energy at long-term predictable energy rates.

Wal-Mart and SunEdison commemorated the program at a "flip-the-switch" event at the store here. The Caguas Wal-Mart houses more than 3,200 solar photovoltaic panels and is expected to generate more than 1 million kilowatt hours of energy annually, meeting over 20% of the store's energy needs. "We are committed to diversify our sources of energy because our final goal is to depend 100% on renewable energy," said Javier Rojo, Wal-Mart Puerto Rico's development director.

SunEdison previously installed solar panels for Wal-Mart in California and Hawaii.