Well its finally happened. Wal-Mart opened a store here in McKinney Texas to showcase their desires to use Renewable Energy. It is an incredible display of resources - the icon out front in the parking lot is a Bergey 50 KW wind turbine mounted on top of a 120 ft mono pole - it's expected to produce more than 100,000 KW hrs of electricity a year here with the North Texas Winds. There is also a 1 KW turbine used to power the monument lights as you drive into the parking lot.
On the building and through out the parking lot, there are Solar modules of various types utilizing several different types of modules including the see through type for sky lights....
from the restaurants and the used oils from the auto center they are reclaiming the fluids and using it for heating.
Over all, there are over 20 different types of new technologies that are being tested as a model for future stores.
Forgot to add that Walmart is also testing Hydrogen Fuel Cell Lift Trucks which if they pass the test will be replacing all the gas burning lift trucks in their warehouses and many stores. You have to admit that they are doing a better job of moving towards alternative energy sources then many other companies, Sears, Penneys, ect. Other neat things at this store are storing the cooking oil from the restaurant department for reclaiming, storing the rainwater from the roof and parking lot for watering the landscape, they have special designed duct work inside the store for removing and reusing the heat from the refrigerators in the frozen food section, and bathrooms with auto-flush infrared sensors on the urinals.
For pictures of the store check out this web site.
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story;jsessionid=amsGpHeC5xWb?id=34647
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