Lowe’s Is Installing Rooftop Solar Panels at Hundreds of Stores

When it comes to our DIY needs, Lowe’s tops the list of places to shop—not only do they have everything we need, but they also have the best spring sales. Sure, occasionally, The Home Depot wins in the Home Depot vs. Lowe’s debate, but if we had to pick one, we know where we’re going.

If we didn’t already have enough reasons to hit up Lowe’s for all our roofing, tiling and gardening needs, the home improvement store just gave us another—the company just announced it’s making a huge investment in renewable energy at stores across the country.

Lowe’s Is Installing Rooftop Solar Panels to Meet Net-Zero Goals

Courtesy Lowe's Companies, Inc.

The company is currently planning to install rooftop solar panels at 174 stores and distribution centers, including 20 sites that are already operational. Once installation is complete, the panels will provide approximately 90% of the energy used at each location.

The locations slated for these changes span Illinois, California and New Jersey. The company is partnering with leaders in renewable energy solutions like DSD Renewables, Greenskies Clean Focus and Infiniti Energy in order to carry out these changes. The stores and centers include:

• 20 stores in New Jersey that are currently operational through Infiniti Energy. Six additional Lowe’s stores in the state are already undergoing panel installation and should be operational later this year.
• 55 stores in California, as well as 36 stores and three distribution centers in Illinois, that are planned in partnership with DSD. Construction is set to begin at all sites by the end of 2023.
• 52 stores and two distribution centers in California that are scheduled to begin construction later this year in partnership with Greenskies Clean Focus.

Why Is Lowe’s Making These Changes?

Lowe’s has big visions when it comes to sustainability—the company aims to have its operations powered by 50% renewable energy by 2030. These changes will help it achieve this goal, building on its sustainability progress, and should also help the company achieve its 2025 objective of reducing scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 40%  four years early.

Chris Cassel, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability, explained, “At Lowe’s, we are focused on operating responsibly and reducing our impact on the environment. Investing in renewable energy lowers operating costs and is an important step in reducing emissions associated with our stores and distribution centers.”

If this has you feeling inspired, here’s how to get started with solar panels.