Target Launches First Net-Zero Energy Store

Target (Minneapolis) has unveiled what it calls its “most sustainable store yet,” saying the Vista, CA location will generate more renewable energy than it needs through 3.420 solar panels across its roof and newly installed carport canopies.

The retailer says the store will serve as a model that informs Target’s investments in new stores and remodel program. The retrofitted location is expected to produce up to a 10 percent energy surplus each year that it can transmit back to the local power grid, and Target has applied for net-zero energy certification from the International Living Future Institute. The building also features elements to further reduce emissions, such as powering its HVAC heating through rooftop solar panels, instead of natural gas.

In a press release, Target says more than 25 percent of its facilities are outfitted with rooftop solar.

Through its Target Forward sustainability strategy, the company has committed to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. One of the ways it intends to reach its net-zero goal is through sourcing 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources for its operations by 2030.