Kohl’s Activates Solar Array at E-Commerce Distribution Center

December 19, 2012 by Linda Hardesty

Kohl’s Department Stores is the third largest corporate solar user in the US according to a November report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar).

Now, Kohl’s has activated another solar project, this time at its million-sq-foot e-commerce fulfillment center in Edgewood, Md., which will generate more than 3 million kWh of electricity annually and provide more than 40 percent of the facility’s energy. The 2.4 MW, 8,360-panel rooftop solar array is the company’s largest solar system.

Until this project, Kohl’s largest solar site was its San Bernardino, Calif., distribution center with a 1 MW, 6,208-panel rooftop solar array. Kohl’s solar portfolio now totals nearly 42 MW, generating more than 57,400 MWh of electricity annually.

The Edgewood facility recently earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the US Green Building Council at the gold level. In addition to its rooftop solar panels, the facility includes high-efficiency lighting, advanced air conditioning and heating systems and an integrated control system to monitor space conditions, helping to make the energy use in the building 46 percent more efficient than a building designed to baseline energy codes.

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