21 June 2012
Kohl’s Department Stores today announced that the company will expand its solar program by nearly 25% in 2012, installing solar panels at approximately 30 additional Kohl’s locations in the US.
While some of the new solar sites will be in states such as California, Connecticut and Maryland where Kohl’s already has a solar presence, additional sites will be located in new solar states for Kohl’s, including Massachusetts, New York and Ohio.
On average, the solar panels will supply 20 to 50% of each store’s energy. Construction of the solar panel arrays on the first phase of stores began this spring. Once the installations are complete by the end of 2012, Kohl’s expects to have more than 150 solar locations across 13 states.
Kohl’s added 20 solar locations in 2011.
Kohl’s launched its solar program in 2007 with the installation of solar panels at its Laguna Niguel, California store. The company has continued to expand the program to additional locations over the last five years where it is feasible and provides a cost savings. Currently, Kohl’s has more than 120 solar locations in North America, including its Milwaukee, Wisconsin photo studio and San Bernardino, California distribution center, which is the company’s largest solar panel array. With the completion of Kohl’s 30 new locations, the company’s portfolio of solar sites will produce more than 74.2 million kWh of energy annually: equivalent to preventing greenhouse gas emissions from 10,032 passenger vehicles or the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of 6,380 homes for a year.
Through the on-site energy generation at Kohl’s solar locations, two wind locations and the purchase of renewable energy credits, Kohl’s offsets more than 100% of its conventional companywide energy use. The company continues to purchase renewable energy credits to offset the energy consumption of new stores and corporate locations and made a 2012 renewable energy purchase of more than 1.5 billion kWh. In recognition of these efforts, Kohl’s was named a Green Power Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2011, 2010 and 2009.
The company also currently has more 700 Energy Star-labeled locations — more than half of the company’s stores — with a goal of achieving 800 labeled locations by 2015.
