A custom LSX solar canopy shows off Portland Walmart’s commitment to the environment
In addition to operating at an everyday low cost, Walmart’s strategy includes being a good steward to the environment with a commitment to either produce or procure 7 billion kWh/year of renewable energy globally by the end of 2020. 7 billion kWh is a little difficult to fathom, but to generate that much electricity, a coal fire plant would need to burn enough coal to fill nearly 26,000 rail cars (that’s more than 5 billion pounds of coal!).
In the past few years, a number of Walmarts have installed solar on their roofs. But in Portland, OR, one Walmart was not satisfied with a hidden, roof mounted solar array, and wanted to create a solar array that would be visible for their customers to see. Shading and protecting the bicycle parking area is a 6.72kW custom solar canopy composed of (28) LSX frameless modules. The Lumos LSXframeless solar modules system was selected to meet the architectural and aesthetic requirements of this project. The LSXRail component of the LSX module system has a built in wireway so all the PV wires are well hidden to ensure the array has a clean look from below. In addition, the array was easily weatherproofed to keep guests and their bicycles dry when unexpected weather descends on the area.
The main canopy structure was designed and installed by Duo-Gard and the LSX solar modules were installed by Synchro Solar.
Read the press release of this project.
Project Spotlight Specs:
- Location: Portland, OR
- System Size: 6.72kW
- Modules: (28) LSX250 Series, 240W clear backsheet modules
- Installation Type: Custom Canopy
- Structure Designer and Installer: Duo-Gard
- Solar Installer: Synchro Solar
