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Best Buy is expanding its clean energy footprint beyond warehouses and back-office operations by adding a rooftop solar garden to a New York City store and tapping a solar field in California, according to Facilities Dive.
What happened?
Near Dinuba, California, a solar field will help provide power for Best Buy's distribution center. In New York, the company said its Long Island City store is the first in its portfolio to host a rooftop community solar project, Facilities Dive reported.
The move builds on a growing solar portfolio that includes projects in South Carolina, Michigan, California, and Texas.
Instead of powering only the store directly, the Long Island City system will send electricity to the local grid for a third-party community solar program. Best Buy expects the rooftop setup to generate about 461,800 kilowatt-hours per year.
In California, the Dinuba solar field is expected to produce 5.87 gigawatt-hours annually, enough electricity for the equivalent of 559 homes. Best Buy said the New York installation could power an estimated 44 homes and businesses each year.
Tim Dunn, Best Buy's head of environmental sustainability, said the company's fiscal 2025 corporate social responsibility report showed operational emissions were already down 74% from its baseline.
For homeowners, going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy through the same basic reason that panels on top of a Best Buy are a smart investment. If you're curious about the costs, EnergySage offers free tools to get quick solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
Why does it matter?
Best Buy is putting solar generation projects to work at facilities people recognize and use every day.
The company signed the Climate Pledge in 2020 and is aiming for net-zero emissions by 2040 rather than its earlier 2050 target.
Community solar can help broaden access to cleaner electricity for people who may not be able to install panels on their own roofs, while solar tied to major facilities can reduce strain on the grid during periods of high demand.
More renewable energy on the grid can help reduce the pollution created by burning non-renewable energy sources, which is linked to poorer air quality and climate-related extreme weather.
Lower energy costs can also make operations more resilient when electricity prices fluctuate.
What's being done?
Best Buy said the two installations build on five solar fields the company had already announced, according to Facilities Dive.
The company is also targeting a 75% reduction in scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2030 from a 2009 baseline and plans to do that by lowering energy use, supporting a cleaner grid, using renewable energy, and offsetting what remains.
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Adding battery storage to a solar setup is also one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off grid. If you want to learn more, explore EnergySage for free information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
For Best Buy's part, Dunn said the company is "excited to keep making strides toward reducing our carbon emissions across our operations."
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