Solar-Powered Retail Stores Edit
Wal-Mart Canada

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:

Solar-Powered Safeway - Greener Groceries (VIDEO)

Safeway is the world’s first grocery store to run entirely on solar power. The North American food retailer installed solar panels on the roof of a California store and hopes to add them to about 24 more in an attempt to be more eco-friendly. Safeway also has “state-of-the-art refrigeration system… [More]