A SunPower Helix Roof solar project is delivering clean electricity to the Santa Rosa Whole Foods Market where a Helix Storage system is also installed to further decrease demand charges for the organic grocer.
The grocery sector is a hot market for solar installations. SunPower reports that its installed more than 2.6 MW at eight Whole Foods Market locations across two states, with one site combining an integrated storage system. These projects are expected to help the natural and organic grocer replace 25 percent of traditional grid energy use on average per store.
The California Whole Foods Markets with SunPower solar are in Cupertino, Fremont, Los Altos, Roseville, San Jose, Santa Clara, and Santa Rosa. The Santa Rosa location also has a 483-kilowatt (900-kilowatt hour) Helix Storage system installed to further decrease demand charges, backed by a SunPower demand savings guarantee. Combined with a solar system operating at a store in Reno, Nevada, these projects are expected to generate more than 3.9 million kWh of electricity annually.
SunPower designed, installed, and is operating the eight solar projects for Whole Foods Market. An additional 2 megawatts are planned across another 11 stores in California, expected to be online in early 2020.
“Since we opened our first store in 1980, Whole Foods Market has been an industry leader in environmental sustainability and energy management,” said Aaron Daly, global director of energy management at Whole Foods Market. “These solar projects from SunPower support our core value of advancing environmental stewardship in the communities where Team Members and customers work and live.”
As the No. 1 commercial solar provider in America, SunPower continues to leverage its market-leading storage experience that enables businesses like Whole Foods Market to maximize their solar investment. After a little more than one year on the market, interest in Helix Storage remains high with a pipeline exceeding 110 megawatts and attach rates of greater than 35 percent.
— Solar Builder magazine
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