by Brianna Crandall — December 4, 2015—Growth in the use of solar energy has surged 183 percent among America’s top companies in the four years since the first Solar Means Business report was published by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The study released December 1 also shows a 59 percent growth in solar installations since just last year.
For the fourth year in a row, Walmart ranked No.1 in the Solar Means Business report, which identifies major commercial solar projects and ranks top corporate solar users. The big-box retailer, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, boasts a robust 142 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity at 348 locations.
Walmart tops the list of U.S. companies with installed solar energy, with more than 140 MW of installed capacity. Photo credit: Walmart
Other top companies recognized for both their amount of solar capacity and number of solar installations include Kohl’s, Apple, Macy’s, Walgreens, Target, IKEA, Prologis, FedEx, Intel, General Motors, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Bed Bath & Beyond, Safeway, Hartz Mountain, Staples, L’Oreal, Kaiser Permanente and Toyota.
According to SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch:
These blue-chip companies have realized investing in solar is a common-sense, cost-effective decision that pays dividends for both the environment and their bottom lines. Not only are they helping to create thousands of American jobs in solar, the nearly 1,700 systems currently in operation are generating enough clean, reliable electricity to offset nearly 890,000 metric tons of harmful carbon emissions a year.
The report notes that growth in corporate solar adoption is no longer limited to traditional solar markets, but that “solar is a smart business decision wherever your business may be.”
The 2.7 MW solar array at FedEx’s facility in Hagerstown, MD, consists of nearly 9,000 individual modules and offsets 37% of the company’s electricity demand. Photo credit: FedEx
Combined, America’s top corporate solar users installed 1,686 systems totaling 907 MW of solar. Representing a “Who’s Who” of the corporate world, these companies are playing an increasingly important role in the development, expansion and promotion of solar nationwide, while also reducing their operating expenses, business risk and impact on climate change, benefiting customers and shareholders alike.
To read the full report, with an interactive map and other resources, visit SEIA’s multimedia landing page. To see the complete rankings and learn more about the variations of commercial systems by both facility and array type see the SEIA Solar Means Business 2015: Top U.S. Commercial Solar Users site. For a video of Resch releasing the report, visit the YouTube page.
