Target (NYSE:TGT) has rolled out one of the most visible displays of its efforts to become a greener company: Massive carports topped with solar panels that will power a big-box store in California.
The panels, high above the parking lot, will produce enough renewable energy to power the entire store, from its refrigeration to its heating and air conditioning, the retail chain says. And the towering structures outside offer a striking visual clue into the environmentally conscious efforts going on inside the store.
In aisles with items like milk, ice cream and frozen pizza, refrigerators and freezers will use a natural refrigerant to cut back on emissions. All sales floor lighting has been replaced with LED, and back outside, customers who arrive in electric cars can charge them in the parking lot.
The Target location in Vista, Calif., about 40 miles north of San Diego, has become the company’s most sustainable store — and could become a national model for the retailer. Target previously installed solar panels on the location’s rooftop, which power a portion of the store.
The department store chain has said it wants to source 100% of its energy from renewable options by 2030 and plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Last week, it debuted a new Target Zero icon that it will use to highlight products in stores and online that are designed to be refillable, reusable or compostable.
At the Vista store customers will see explanations about behind-the-scenes green features that will inform them about the company’s switch to the natural refrigerant.
TGT began trading Thursday up $1.46 to $217.05.
