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Solar-Powered Retail Stores

Wal-Mart Canada

— May 28, 2008 — Eco
A Canadian Wal-Mart store is set to open the country’s largest rooftop solar-energy system. The Ministry of Research and Innovation in Ontario will donate $3 million to support the Menova Energy project. It’s estimated the Markham, Ontario installation will result in a 390 ton reduction of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

The environmentally-friendly roof consists of a “‘concentrated’ solar-energy system that magnifies the sunlight by 1,000 times onto tiny solar cells,” the Environmental Leader explains.

“Wal-Mart faced criticism at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali last year for installing solar panels on only one percent of its total supercenters in the U.S.”

Another retail giant to jump onto the solar trend is Safeway:
Trend Themes
1. Solar-powered Buildings - The trend of solar-powered buildings provides disruptive innovation for the construction industry and renewable energy providers to integrate solar technologies into their offerings.
2. Green Retailing - The rise of eco-initiatives among retail companies such as Wal-Mart and Safeway creates an opportunity for disruptive innovation in sustainable retailing and environmentally-friendly supply chains
3. Concentrated Solar Energy - The use of concentrated solar energy in rooftop solar installations reveals disruptive innovation potential for energy tech companies to develop more efficient ways of harvesting solar energy.
Industry Implications
1. Construction - The increasing demand for solar-powered buildings reveals an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the construction industry and the adoption of sustainable building practices.
2. Renewable Energy - The trend of solar-powered buildings presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the renewable energy industry and the development of new solar technologies and energy storage solutions.
3. Retail - The growth of green retailing opens up an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the retail industry, such as the integration of sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices into supply chain logistics and operations.
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