Solar Energy could get a big boost with Wal-Mart on board
It seems like Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is all set to jump on the Solar and Alternative Energy bandwagon. The company has supposedly sent out Request for Proposals (RFP) to install solar panels in its stores. Joel Makower, has read the confidential RFP and has the details on his blog.
I am really caught off-guard by this story since the the company involved is Wal-Mart and not a Silicon Valley Tech company.
According to Joel Makower, the company could put solar panels on as many as 340 stores in the next few years. The total capacity could be as much as 100 megawatts throughout all of its stores. Microsoft and Google have installed solar panels at their respective headquarters but the size of the Wal-Mart campaign is huge and could jump start the alternative energy industry into another gear in America.
Wal-Mart already has a store in Dallas, Texas equipped with Solar Panels, Wind Turbine and a bio-fuel boiler to recycle and burn recovered oil from store operations.
If other retailers catch on to this idea and start implementing even some sustainable practices then the alternative energy industry could enjoy a tremendous boom in the coming years.
Following is an excerpt from a Wal-Mart memo presented by CEO Lee Scott:
Wal-Mart can help restore balance to climate systems, reduce greenhouse gases, save money for our customers, and reduce dependence on oil, and we are committed to the following:
1. Aggressively investing approximately $500 million annually in technologies and innovation to do the following:
o Reducing greenhouse gases at our existing store, club and DC base
around the world by 20 percent over the next 7 years.
o Designing and opening a viable prototype that is 25-30 percent more
efficient and will produce up to 30 percent fewer greenhouse gas
emissions within the next 4 years.
o Increasing our fleet efficiency by 25 percent in the next 3 years, and
doubling efficiency in the next 10 years.
o Sharing all learnings in technology with the world, including our
competitors (the more people who can utilize this type of technology
the larger the market and more we can save our customers)2. Aggressively pursuing regulatory and policy change that will create incentives for utilities to invest in energy efficiency and low or no greenhouse gas sources of electricity, and to reduce barriers to integrating these sources into the power grid.
3. Assisting in the design and support of a green company program in China, where Wal-Mart would show preference to those suppliers and their factories involved in such a program.
4. Initiating a program here in the U.S. over the next 18 months that would show preference to suppliers who set their own goals and aggressively reduce their own emissions.
Full Disclosure: I don’t own stocks of Wal-Mart but own stocks in Solar Energy companies.
- Walmart may offer Ethanol at it’s Gas Stations
- China close to passing United States as the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world
- 0 Million Contract for Evergreen Solar (Nasdaq: ESLR)
- Super VC Vinod Khosla bankrolling California Alternative Energy Initiative
- Vinod Khosla forms Cilion to produce ethanol in California
January 7th, 2007 at 6:48 am
MANDATORY RENEWABLE ENERGY – THE ENERGY EVOLUTION –R4
In order to insure energy and economic independence as well as better economic growth without being blackmailed by foreign countries, our country, the United States of America’s Utilization of Energy sources must change.
“Energy drives our entire economy.” We must protect it. “Let’s face it, without energy the whole economy and economic society we have set up would come to a halt. So you want to have control over such an important resource that you need for your society and your economy.”
Our continued dependence on fossil fuels could and will lead to catastrophic consequences.
The federal, state and local government should implement a mandatory renewable energy installation program for residential and commercial property on new construction and remodeling projects with the use of energy efficient material, mechanical systems, appliances, lighting, etc. The source of energy must by renewable energy such as Solar-Photovoltaic, Geothermal, Wind, Biofuels, etc. including utilizing water from lakes, rivers and oceans to circulate in cooling towers to produce air conditioning and the utilization of proper landscaping to reduce energy consumption.
The implementation of mandatory renewable energy could be done on a gradual scale over the next 10 years. At the end of the 10 year period all construction and energy use in the structures throughout the United States must be 100% powered by renewable energy.
In addition, the governments must impose laws, rules and regulations whereby the utility companies must comply with a fair “NET METERING” (the buying of excess generation from the consumer), including the promotion of research and production of “renewable energy technology” with various long term incentives and grants. The various foundations in existence should be used to contribute to this cause.
A mandatory time table should also be established for the automobile industry to gradually produce an automobile powered by renewable energy. The American automobile industry is surely capable of accomplishing this task.
This is a way to expedite our energy independence and economic growth. (this will also creat a substantial amount of new jobs) It will take maximum effort and a relentless pursuit of the private, commercial and industrial government sectors commitment to renewable energy – energy generation (wind, solar, hydro, biofuels, geothermal, energy storage (fuel cells, advance batteries), energy infrastructure (management, transmission) and energy efficiency (lighting, sensors, automation, conservation) in order to achieve our energy independence.
Jay Draiman
Northridge, CA. 91325
1-7-2007
P.S. I have a very deep belief in America’s capabilities. Within the next 10 years we can accomplish our energy independence, if we as a nation truly set our goals to accomplish this.
I happen to believe that we can do it. In another crisis–the one in 1942–President Franklin D. Roosevelt said this country would build 60,000 [50,000] military aircraft. By 1943, production in that program had reached 125,000 aircraft annually. They did it then. We can do it now.
The American people resilience and determination to retain the way of life is unconquerable and we as a nation will succeed in this endeavor of Energy Independence.
Solar energy is the source of all energy on the earth (excepting volcanic geothermal). Wind, wave and fossil fuels all get their energy from the sun. Fossil fuels are only a battery which will eventually run out. The sooner we can exploit all forms of Solar energy (cost effectively or not against dubiously cheap FFs)the better off we will all be. If the battery runs out first, the survivors will all be living like in the 18th century again.
Every new home built should come with a solar package. A 1.5 kW per bedroom is a good rule of thumb. The formula 1.5 X’s 5 hrs per day X’s 30 days will produce about 225 kWh per bedroom monthly. This peak production period will offset 17 to 24 cents per kWh with a potential of $160 per month or about $60,000 over the 30-year mortgage period for a three-bedroom home. It is economically feasible at the current energy price and the interest portion of the loan is deductible. Why not?
Title 24 has been mandated forcing developers to build energy efficient homes. Their bull-headedness put them in that position and now they see that Title 24 works with little added cost. Solar should also be mandated and if the developer designs a home that solar is impossible to do then they should pay an equivalent mitigation fee allowing others to put solar on in place of their negligence..
January 7th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
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