Commercial, Distributed Generation, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  March 18, 2016

Whole Foods expands rooftop solar with NRG, SolarCity

Whole Foods Market announced plans earlier this month to significantly build out the number of rooftop solar installations sited at its stores. The plans call for the grocer to add up to 100 additional rooftop solar systems.

“This program showcases an exciting step in Whole Foods Market's efforts to increase support for renewable energy as well as lower energy costs," Kathy Loftus, global leader in sustainability for Whole Foods Market said in a news release. "We strive to live our core values of environmental stewardship, as well as serving and supporting our local and global communities. This project allows us to continue to meet the needs of all of our stakeholders.”

SolarCity said in a release that it will deliver solar power services for many stores located in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. SolarCity will custom design each system to maximize the amount of grid power offset and expects to begin installation this spring. Whole Foods will reportedly save money with the new solar installations by purchasing power from SolarCity at a discount to current electricity costs, locking in low solar energy rates for several years.

In a separate news release, NRG Energy said it is working with Whole Foods to install rooftop solar at up to 84 Whole Foods stores and distribution centers across 9 states to generate renewable energy onsite. When completed and determined by final negotiations and analysis, that portfolio of solar projects has the potential to generate up to 13.8 MW of solar power.

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