10 Corporations That Have Gone Big On Solar

It is a truth that everyone in the world knows that our planet is facing quite an alarming climate change crisis today. And it’s also a truth that we all know that massive corporations all over the world played a big role in this environmental destruction. Because of that, some corporations have decided to mend their ways and find a solution to help save the environment. And one of the solutions that a lot of these corporations have chosen is by hopping onto the solar energy train.

As the name suggests, solar energy is a form of renewable energy that harnesses the light and heat from the sun to create electricity. As of right now, there are multiple technologies that utilize solar energy, some of the most common ones being solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, and solar architecture.

It’s actually good to hear about the news that more and more corporations are starting to integrate solar energy into their companies. This is because solar energy helps contribute to long-term cost savings as well as reduce a company’s carbon footprint, thus helping save the environment. In fact, it has been reported that the amount of solar installed by companies in the United States alone can offset up to 1.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. That’s a really big number that will definitely help our planet in the long run.

Related article: Top Solar Statistics You Need to Know in 2019

 

Ten Corporations That Have Gone Big on Solar

Another thing that we should note about this trend of companies going solar is the fact more consumers nowadays gravitate towards brands that are socially responsible. In other words, if a particular company goes solar in order to become more eco-friendly, then that company becomes incredibly attractive to consumers. It’s a win-win situation — for both the company and the environment itself.

To give you an even deeper insight into this matter, here is a list of ten corporations — according to SEIA — that have recently gone big on solar

 

Apple

Impressively, Apple has been able to be globally powered by 100% renewable energy as of 2018. This achievement encompasses retail stores, offices, data centers, and co-located facilities in 43 countries. Additionally, they have announced nine additional manufacturing partners who have committed to power all of their Apple production with 100% clean energy, thus bringing the total number of supplier commitments to 23.

Aside from that, the company also engages in sustainability projects that involve a wide range of energy sources, such as solar arrays and wind farms. When combined, the total generation capacity is a whopping 626 MW. And Apple is not planning to just stop at that: the company also has 15 more projects in construction, including a $300 million solar system project in China. Once that project is finished, it can give back over 1.4 GW of clean renewable energy across 11 countries.

By the end of 2018, Apple had a total of 393.3 MW of installed solar energy capacity, topping Amazon and Target. This number made Apple as the leading company of solar installations in the U.S.

 

Amazon

The e-commerce giant is also getting on the solar energy train so as to keep business costs low, which will then provide more savings to customers. As of right now, Amazon has started construction of solar and wind farms that will generate up to 3.6 MW/hours of renewable energy each year. Aside from that, the company has begun hosting large-scale rooftop solar systems on fulfillment centers all over the country. And by 2020, they have aimed to have more than 50 fulfillment centers with rooftop solar installed.

 

Target

Target is the second-largest department store retailer in the United States, and the company has always been interested in sustainable buildings. That is why back in 2003, they had their first solar installation, and now they have more than 200 MW of installed capacity. Target aims to continue its progress by working to have rooftop solar panels in 500 of its buildings by 2020.

Aside from that, Target is also actively investing in projects around the country that produce electricity through renewable resources, such as the sun and the wind. In fact, they have over 350 complete solar projects as of right now. And finally, Target has made an ambitious and impressive goal of committing to source 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. This goal applies to all of the company’s domestic operations, such as stores, distribution centers, and offices.

 

Walmart Inc.

Just like Target, Walmart Inc. is a retail corporation that has been committed to solar for a long time now — about more than a decade, to be specific. Their dedication to solar can be seen in their extensive efforts to being more energy-efficient, such as numerous solar installations and the construction of eco-roofs. As of right now, the company has installed about 240 solar projects, which saves approximately $4.8 million, and they are planning to create more than 1,000 projects worldwide.

 

Switch

Since January 2016, Switch data centers have run on 100% renewable energy, and the company aims to continue that practice. In the same year of 2016 as well, Switch began construction of two solar power stations in Las Vegas, Nevada with a combined 179 MW capacity. These facilities have been able to remove the equivalent of 50,000 cars off the road and eliminate 265,000 carbon tons of emissions from the environment. By the end of 2018, the company is ranked fifth in the top ten companies that are turning to solar energy.

 

Google

Google has been carbon neutral for over a decade, and since 2010, the company has signed 26 agreements to purchase nearly 3 GW of new renewable energy. That is equivalent to taking more than 1.3 million cars off the road every year. That endeavour allowed Google to reach 100% renewable energy for its operations, including both data centers and offices.

By the end of 2018, Google was able to have an installed capacity of 142.9 MW, thus ranking sixth in the SEIA’s top ten companies who are turning to solar. With this milestone, the company was able to offset 17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

 

Kaiser Permanente

In 2016, Kaiser Permanente adopted an ambitious set of environmental goals that they want to achieve by 2025. Some of the highlight goals include becoming “carbon net positive” by buying enough clean energy and carbon offsets; recycling, reusing or composting 100% of their non-hazardous waste; and pursuing new collaborations. And of course, the company also aims to deploy onsite solar wherever it’s cost-effective. In fact, by the end of 2018, Kaiser Permanente was able to have an installed capacity of 140 MW. They will continue to up that number in the years to come so as to achieve the goals that they have set for themselves.

 

Prologis

Prologis is a multinational logistics real estate investment trust, and the company has been slowly turning underutilized rooftops into sources of clean energy. In 2017, Prologis had a total of 120.7 MW of installed capacity, thus ranking the company third among all U.S. companies for solar installations. And as of December 2018, they were able to bring the number up to 186 MW. All the installations that Prologis has achieved can produce enough energy to power 26,000 U.S. homes, which is an impressive feat.

 

Solvay

Solvay in advanced materials and specialty chemicals company that is committed to developing chemistry that addresses key societal challenges. With that company description, of course, Solvay takes sustainability seriously. And in order to meet their ambitious objectives in terms of carbon emission reductions, the company champions both saving energy and sourcing more renewable power.

In 2017, one of their primary initiatives to source more renewable power is a solar farm that was built in South Carolina. This solar farm can provide enough power for 15,000 households, or 164,000 MWh a year, thus offsetting about 80,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. And by the end of 2018, Solvay was able to reach an installed capacity of 81.4 MW, which they plan to improve in the years to come.

 

Fifth Third Bank

In 2017, Fifth Third Bank announced its operational sustainability goals that will promote a sustainable environment. Their goals are all about reducing energy use by 25%, greenhouse gas emissions by 25%, landfill waste by 20%, water usage by 20%, and purchasing 100% renewable power by 2022. And in 2018, they were able to achieve one of their goals when they signed a contract leading to 100% renewable energy through solar power. That is why by the end of the same year, Fifth Third Bank made SEIA’s list of top companies that are turning to solar, with an installed capacity of 80 MW.

 

Takeaway

With our environment slowly but surely deteriorating, it is nice to know that we are trying our very best to help save it. It’s even more uplifting to hear about massive corporations all over the world doing everything in their power to be sustainable and eco-friendly. This is because hearing about all these endeavours gives us hope that maybe it’s not yet too late to save our environment. Maybe there’s still something that we can do.

That is the philosophy that the ten companies mentioned above embodied. And hopefully, in the next years to come, there will be more and more corporations who will follow their lead. In times like this when our planet is dying, it’s getting more crucial than ever for us to stand together as one to combat climate change.

Related article: Top 10 Technological Breakthroughs in the Solar Industry

Sources:

 

• http://solarmeansbusiness.com/
• https://corporate.target.com/article/2019/06/renewable-electricity
• https://www.prologis.com/logistics-industry-feature/prologis-ranks-third-solar-following-target-and-walmart
• https://www.offsetsolar.com/blogs/offset-solar-blog/10-companies-that-went-solar
• https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/04/apple-now-globally-powered-by-100-percent-renewable-energy/
• https://www.macrumors.com/2019/07/25/apple-leads-us-solar-energy-capacity/
• https://www.aboutamazon.com/sustainability/energy-and-environment/energy-and-environment
• https://www.switch.com/sustainability/
• https://sustainability.google/reports/environmental-report-2018/
• https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/community-health/improving-community-conditions/environmental-stewardship
• https://www.energymanagertoday.com/kaiser-permanente-energy-resilience-0182374/
• https://www.solvay.com/en/article/solvay-solar-farm
• https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/personal-banking/about/in-the-community/sustainability.html
• https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/04/apple-now-globally-powered-by-100-percent-renewable-energy/?imgid=1522795105388