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| Kohl's plans to increase its solar panel program by nearly 25 percent this year. |
Kohl’s Department Stores will expand its solar program by nearly 25 percent this year, installing solar panels at approximately 30 additional Kohl’s locations.
While some of the new solar sites will be in 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 20-50 percent 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 launched its solar program in 2007 with the installation of solar panels at its Laguna Niguel, CA, 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 is one of the largest single hosts of solar electricity in North America and has more than 120 solar locations, including its Milwaukee photo studio and San Bernardino distribution center – 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 percent of its conventional companywide energy use.