What do Hawaii, Ohio, Massachusetts and Maryland have in common? Well, for one thing, they’re all states where we’ve completed new solar panel installations this year – a total of 33 solar rooftops from coast to coast. We now have more than 200 renewable energy installations across the country, so it makes sense that we were recognized by the EPA’s Green Power Partnership as the largest on-site green power generator for two years running.
In Maryland, 10 new installations will now generate more than 4.1 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean, renewable energy per year. The reduction in emissions is like taking 670 cars off the road, according to the EPA. In all, there are more than 13,000 panels – enough to cover more than six football fields. And each rooftop system will provide between 5 and 20 percent of each store’s or club’s energy needs.
It’s especially exciting to know that the governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, is an advocate for what we’ve achieved in the Old Line State: “In Maryland, we’ve set some of the most ambitious goals in the nation for advancing clean renewable energy and creating green jobs,” the governor said. “We’re helping businesses take advantage of solar incentives so they can save money while embracing the job-creating, planet-saving potential of our green economy. I commend the partnership between SolarCity and Walmart as a significant step forward toward a more sustainable future for generations to come.”
It’s our goal to eventually be supplied by 100 percent renewable energy – and with each new installation, we’re getting one step closer. Maybe the time for renewables really has come.
