Target unveils first store powered entirely by solar energy

Target shoppers in California might notice huge solar panels sitting above their cars, as the retailer unveiled its first net-zero energy store that includes 1,800 solar carport panels. A Target store in Vista, Calif., became the testing ground for the company’s most sustainable store yet. It took three years from inception to implementation, and now the finished store includes 1,800 solar carport panels and an additional 1,620 solar rooftop panels — which is expected to produce up to a 10 percent energy surplus annually.  That extra energy can be transmitted back to California’s local power grid.  The newly installed solar panels will also power the store’s HVAC heating system instead of using natural gas. The store also rolled out carbon dioxide refrigeration, a natural refrigerant that Target hopes to scale up to all of its stores by 2040 in an effort to reduce its…

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