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Walmart Goes Solar In California

tekgoblin writes "Walmart today has announced that it plans to install solar panels on more than 75 percent of its stores in the state. From the article: 'When completed, Walmart’s solar commitment in California is expected to generate up to 70 million kilowatt hours of clean, renewable energy per year, which is equal to powering more than 5,400 homes. It will also avoid producing more than 21,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is equal to 4,100 cars off the road and provide 20 to 30 percent of each facility’s total electric needs.'"

7 of 292 comments (clear)

  1. percentages by Bobfrankly1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    and provide 20 to 30 percent of each facility’s total electric needs.

    The remainder of the store, as usual is powered by crushing up the hopes and dreams of it's employees and competitors.

  2. Re:Not a real savings by geekoid · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dude, it was vetted by a friend of his.. a FRIEND.What more do you need~

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  3. Re:Costs by currently_awake · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The reason California has the highest electricity costs in the western world is because they privatized the whole system but without any protection to protect the consumer from price fixing or profit maximization. Corporations like to gouge you, it's what they were designed for- to maximize profit. If the electric company anticipates demand and maintains the infrastructure you get safe reliable cheap power. If they don't you get costly unreliable dangerous power. The first costs more and brings in less (low profit), the second costs less and brings in more(high profit)- clearly the intelligent CEO will opt for the second plan.

  4. Re:Stop the clock now! by m.dillon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Well, more realistically, what is happening is that China is producing solar panels well in excess of demand (and doing a number on their environment in the process, but that's another story), and it's forced prices for panels down so much that all the other panel producers are dropping like flies. Has nothing whatsoever to do with U.S. regulations (unless you want U.S. creeks to run black with industrial chemicals too), or conspiracy theories about siphoning government money or anything like that.

    Even worse, panel prices are now low enough to compete against large industrial-scale mirror/tower systems. So THOSE companies are also getting crushed as contracts get canceled and buyers go with panels. Think about that for a moment. It isn't that panels are less expensive than mirrors, it's that panels are now less expensive than mirrors + tower system + workforce required to keep it maintained.

    -Matt

  5. Re:What kind of a deal did they negotiate? by luther349 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    that's walmart bs your spreading there. they pay minimum wage unless your 3rd shift and that's only due to 3rd shift laws. there so called benefits cost more then most people make,32 hrs a week is full time.for a walmart employee its also like that to prevent certen rights a real full-time employee would have like vacation time.walmart prices are higher then most other stores these days look for yourself. and there is nothing efficient bought walmart its ran by as i said under-payed unhappy people by overpaid managers who couldn't run a gas station. a managers day at walmart is what can i yell at you about today they care less how good or bad a job is done they just need to bitch i think that's part of there contract. trust me anyone that has ever worked there will tell you the same thing.

  6. Re:Stop the clock now! by hakey · · Score: 5, Informative
    China shuts factory after pollution protests

    China shut down a solar panel factory on Monday after hundreds of angry residents staged days of violent protests over pollution, the second such incident in as many months.

  7. Re:What kind of a deal did they negotiate? by ryanov · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No, they are people who know a lot about Walmart and know that if you're poor, you can find ways to shop that don't shoot you directly in the foot (coupons, buying things on-sale, buying from farmer's markets, buying in bulk, buying cheaper raw foods, etc.)... you know, all the things that responsible people were doing long before there was a Walmart (which is now something that is apparently essential for survival somehow)... and back before everyone moved out of town to live in cheap shit housing developments and started clamoring for Walmarts because there's nowhere to shop.

    Walmart fucks EVERYONE, even people who don't shop there. Go watch any of the documentaries on Walmart -- you can look up what's in the movies if you don't take their word for it.