Just in time for Earth Day, Wal-Mart (WMT) is announcing (via USA Today) that it plans to double its solar capacity through rooftop installations on 10-20 stores.
Big whoop. Wal-Mart has how many stores worldwide? Thousands? Talk about trying to jump on the green publicity bandwagon.
But here are the details...
Wal-Mart is entering a 10 year power purchase agreement with BP Solar (BP) for the projects, which will be in California. BP Solar will install, operate and maintain the solar projects. If Wal-Mart paid for the whole thing itself, each project could cost as much as $2 million. According to USA Today, the stores that currently have panels, enjoy "moderate savings" on energy.
The project also produces a press release for BP Solar, which has struggled, of late. The subsidiary of the oil gaint, BP, is undergoing a business change from a manufacturer of panels, to a company that sets up projects with utilities. While Wal-Mart isn't a utility, it's certainly a large company that might be interested in building more solar projects over the long run.