Retail giant Costco has installed on-site solar generation at a new electric truck charging project in southern California.
Costco contracted Washington-based Trinity Structures to design and build an off-grid rooftop solar system at its distribution center in Mira Loma. Trinity completed the project in four months.
The “solar electrification structure,” as Trinity calls it, is not connected to the grid and provides direct, on-site power, similar to a microgrid. The solar panels can potentially produce about 100 MWh annually—enough to provide 11,750 hours of EV charging.
Costco, which operates more than 850 warehouses worldwide, plans to convert all its depot yard trucks from diesel to alternative fuel models by 2035. The company’s plan envisions more than 100 on-site solar facilities.
Costco says its transition to solar-powered electric trucks will help the company offset more than $9.8 million in state regulatory fees under California’s Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions incentive program.
“These off-grid electrified structures enable our fleet to meet and exceed our climate action commitments during this energy transition,” said Shay Reed, Assistant General Merchandising Manager at Costco Wholesale. “The partnership with Trinity allowed for a solution that is creative, effective, operationally viable and financially responsible.”
Source: Trinity Structures via Microgrid Knowledge
