Solar and CO2 refrigeration store targets net zero
19th March 2022
USA: A huge array of solar panels at a Target store in Vista, California, will provide all the store’s energy requirements and create a surplus for the local power grid.
In its most sustainable store to date, the retailer has installed 3,420 solar panels across its roof and newly installed carport canopies.
The building also features elements to further reduce emissions, such as powering its HVAC heating through the rooftop solar panels, instead of natural gas, and the installation of more than 1,300 LED lights. The store has also switched to low GWP CO2 refrigeration that Target will introduce across its stores by 2040 to reduce its direct operations’ emissions by 20%.
The Vista site, near San Diego, is expected to produce up to a 10% energy surplus each year and Target has applied for net zero energy certification from the International Living Future Institute.
“We’ve been working for years at Target to shift toward sourcing more renewable energy and further reducing our carbon footprint, and our Vista store’s retrofit is the next step in our sustainability journey and a glimpse of the future we’re working toward,” said John Conlin, Target’s senior vice president of properties.
Currently, more than 25% of Target’s facilities use rooftop solar, helping the company save millions annually in energy costs and reducing its emissions. Its Vista store is one of 542 Target buildings nationwide with solar installations, with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recognising Target as the top US corporate onsite installer with 255MW of energy.
