Kona & Hilo Targets Installing Solar Power, Battery Systems

Target is expanding its solar presence in Hawai‘i by installing its first combined solar power and solar powered battery storage project in Kona in partnership with SunPower.

The energy produced from this 910 kilowatt (kW) solar system and 250 kW battery will provide over 40% of the Kona Target store’s energy, reducing the dependence on the energy grid to run everyday operations. The system will capture energy during the day that will power the store’s lights, refrigeration and other essential needs later in the day. This solar-and-storage combo will serve as a case study for the integration of clean, renewable power for other Target locations across the U.S.

Target is in the process of adding solar rooftop panels to five other stores across the state that will provide the locations with solar power, offsetting one-third of each building’s energy needs: Maka‘ala Street in Hilo; Ho‘ekele Street on Maui; and Hahani Street in Kailua, Kapolei Parkway in Kapolei and Lawehana Street in Honolulu on O‘ahu.

The installations began earlier this year and will be completed in 2017.

The Hawai‘i solar installations are part of Target’s goal to have 500 stores with rooftop solar panels by 2020, with over 350 installed projects completed already.

Target is increasingly meeting a portion of its energy needs with solar power. In fact, Target installed more megawatts of rooftop solar in 2016 than any other U.S. retailer, and as a result, the company was named the No. 1 U.S. Corporate Solar Installer by Solar Energy Industries Association.

Additionally, Target is committed to expanding its use of sustainable energy for its buildings, with the company also investing in wind energy partnerships. Target was also named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the last two years in a row, the highest honor from the Environmental Protection Agency for energy-efficient companies. Today, 76% of Target’s buildings are ENERGY STAR certified—more than any other retailer—which means all those buildings meet strict guidelines for energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.