Drugstore chain Walgreen (WBA 3.69%) is partnering with solar developer SoCore Energy to build solar installations in more than 200 Walgreens in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.
The company says this will make Walgreen the leading retailer in quantity of solar-powered stores, bringing its total of solar installations to more than 350.
Walgreen's upcoming installations are expected to create 13.5 million annual kilowatt hours, or the equivalent of offsetting carbon dioxide emissions from more than 1,400 homes each year. In addition to its 200 new solar installations, Walgreen and SoCore will also unveil a "net-zero energy, LEED Platinum store" in Evanston, Ill., that will include more than 850 rooftop solar panels.
Thomas Connolly, vice president of facilities development for Walgreen, said the new effort with SoCore is part of a continued effort for the company to reduce its carbon footprint and pioneer green technology among retailers. "Because we operate more than 8,000 stores, we believe our implementation of sustainable energy technology can have a significant positive impact on the nation's environment while also creating jobs."
Walgreen and SoCore have collaborated on solar installations since 2011, during a 53-store rollout in Ohio. The retailer has committed to reducing energy across its entire chain by 20% by 2020, per the terms of the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge.
