Walmart Canada Invests $2 million in Renewable Energy

Walmart Canada renewable energy advances include rooftop solar in Kitchener-Waterloo and a low-wind turbine in Milton, feeding electricity to the grid, reducing GHG emissions, and generating up to 500,000 kWh annually under Ontario's feed-in tariff.

Walmart Canada today announced it has installed a rooftop solar power-generating system as well as a wind turbine at two separate Walmart Canada locations in Ontario. Combined, these projects represent an investment of approximately $2 million.

Located on top of the Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario store, the rooftop solar roof power-generating system is expected to generate 450,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year, enough to supply 39 average size Canadian households. The solar system will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions GHG by an estimated 80 tonnes per year.

Adjacent to the Milton, Ontario store, the 20-kilowatt wind turbine is expected to generate as much as 50,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, enough to power four average size Canadian households, supporting Walmart Canada's zero-emissions goals in the region. The wind turbine has been designed for low wind speed areas, where wind power has not been previously practical, and can operate in wind speeds as low as 10 kilometres per hour.

Power generated will be returned to the electrical grid under Ontario's feed-in tariff program for renewable energy. The company will use these pilot projects to assess the effectiveness and potential benefits of these systems to potentially power some of its stores and its planned sustainable distribution center operations in the future.

"Walmart Canada is committed to one day operating with 100 per cent renewable energy," said Roger Snowball, director of design at Walmart Canada. "These pilot projects allow us to test new technologies in a real-world setting, including our green demonstration store model, so that we can apply the best practices and learning to new stores in the future."

The projects also allow Walmart Canada to invest in Canadian businesses, reflecting broader retail initiatives like Ikea's solar panels across Ontario as well. The rooftop solar power-generating system was assembled and installed by BramKal Contractors, of Burlington, Ontario.

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