Heating Up

With a long-term goal of having 100 percent of its power supplied by renewable energy, Walmart is transforming every aspect of its energy consumption using a combination of solar and wind in a smart and innovative approach to conservation and sustainability.

“We are harnessing the power of the famous California sun and creating energy that is pollution free”

In recent months, Walmart has been ramping up efforts to refresh its stores through improving customer experience, as well as concentrate on a sustainable approach to energy consumption. And the company has made steady progress over the past couple of years improving both the sustainability of products and stores, and at Walmart's Sustainability Milestone Meeting back in July, CEO Mike Duke revealed that the retail giant is preparing to both accelerate and broaden the hard work in this area. Unveiling the creation of a Sustainability Index, Duke hopes to bring about a more transparent supply chain, drive product innovation and, ultimately, provide consumers with the information they need to assess the sustainability of products.

"I want to call on all of us - retailers, suppliers, NGOs and universities - to work together to create the index, to share our information, and shape it into a powerful tool," says Duke. "If we get it right it will mean more innovative products that lower carbon output, that promote clean air and water, and that create a more transparent and responsible supply chain."

And while work is continuing around the sustainability index to drive a better supply chain, there is no doubt that the stores themselves are undergoing a makeover to improve their efficiency. "Early on, we sought ways to reduce our energy use, to improve efficiency of our truck fleet - all under the guise of our over-arching goal, which was to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy," says Matt Kistler, SVP for Sustainability at Walmart. But, it is not just the truck fleet that has seen an improvement in energy efficiency - as part of its commitment, in November 2008, Walmart announced a major purchase of wind energy that will supply up to 15 percent of the retailer's total energy load in approximately 350 Texas stores and other facilities.

Walmart also announced it was expanding its solar power program in California. In April, the company revealed that it plans to add solar panels on 10 to 20 additional Walmart facilities in 2009 and 2010. This commitment is in addition to the 18 solar arrays currently installed at Walmart facilities in California. "Increasing the use of solar energy is the right thing to do for the environment and makes tremendous business sense, especially in these economic conditions," said Kimberly Sentovich, Walmart's California Regional General Manager. "Thanks to Governor Schwarzenegger's leadership, California is an excellent environment for us to grow our investment in renewable energy and help create more green jobs for America. Walmart is excited to continue collaborating with our partner BP Solar on expanding our solar footprint."

"All over the state we are harnessing the power of the famous California sun and creating energy that is pollution free," says Governor Schwarzenegger. "This project is all about taking bold action so we can see solar panels on commercial rooftops all across California while putting people to work. Walmart's action helps prove that even in an economic downturn, it is possible to get serious about clean, renewable energy."

Walmart is indeed committed to expanding its solar presence in California and as construction nears completion on this group of 10 to 20 sites, the company will evaluate the feasibility of expanding the program to yet further additional sites. The company will take into account a variety of factors, including available locations, economic conditions, energy prices, as well as local, state and federal renewable energy policies and programs. "Walmart is a leader in implementing cost-effective clean energy solutions," explains Christopher Lau, World Resources Institute's California Green Power Group Manager. "With this commitment to expand the use of solar power, Walmart demonstrates that businesses can pursue long-term sustainability goals during tough economic times to the benefit of the environment, customers, and bottom line."

And it is not just California that is benefiting from solar power, in Puerto Rico, the company is planning to outfit up to five stores with solar panels this year, and expects the project to expand to 22 stores in the next five years. Additionally, Walmart de Mexico will eliminate approximately 140 tons of CO2 emissions annually through the completed installation of more than 1000 solar panels on the roof of the Bodega Aurrera Aguascalientes.

And continuing its commitment to energy conservation and environmental sustainability, Walmart opened the latest of its high-efficiency pilot stores (HE3) in Youngstown, Ohio in August. The HE3 pilot, implements the latest phase of technologies, including a water-source heating, cooling and refrigeration system, where water is used to heat and cool the building, a secondary refrigeration loop that is expected to reduce the initial charge by 90 percent, and an active dehumidification system. In addition to the innovative features of the HE3 pilot, the Youngstown Walmart includes the leading energy efficient technologies found in the company's prototype stores, including: LEDs in refrigerated and freezer cases; daylight harvesting technology; reflective white membrane roof; sensor-activated low-flow bathroom faucets and high efficiency urinals and toilets; recycled construction materials, such as fly-ash, slag, internally colored concrete floor and plastic baseboards and chair rails.

"Walmart continues to stay on the leading edge of sustainable building practices," says James McClendon, Director of New Format Development. "Our ongoing commitment to operate in a more energy efficient manner, while working to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions has resulted in this latest pilot of energy efficient stores."

Doubling solar energy use

When combined, Walmart's total solar installations are expected to:

• Generate up to 32 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy per year - the equivalent of powering more than 2600 homes
• Avoid producing more than 22,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year - the equivalent of taking more than 4000 cars off the road
• Provide 20-30 percent of each location's total electric energy needs