Costco Wholesale Corp., has announced the installation of its second solar-powered energy system at its Lake Elsinore, California warehouse. SunEdison, simplified the implementation by delivering the turnkey solar system, which will produce 595 kW (DC) 496kW (AC) through the 45,000 square foot system.

As part of Costco’s long-term commitment to energy conservation and reduction of energy costs, the new system is expected to supply in excess of 725,000 kWh (AC) annually over an expected lifespan of 25 years. The solar system is expected to save more than $3.8 million in energy expenditures over the 25-year period. The clean energy produced by the solar system will eliminate an estimated 1,009,611 pounds of CO2 annually, which is the equivalent of planting 2,800 acres of trees over the 25 year life of the system.

By delivering a turn-key system, SunEdison simplified the implementation process, which includes engineering, permitting, metering and meeting other regulatory requirements. SunEdison built the system using Kyocera 200 Watt Modules, and a SatCon 500 KW inverter.

Craig Peal, Assistant Vice President for Energy/Building Controls at Costco Wholesale Corp. said, “This solar roof gives us an important addition to the list of technologies available to us to reduce our purchases of electricity and reduce our impact on the environment.” Costco continually searches for new ways to improve their performance in the energy area. This improved performance not only benefits their members and shareholders but the communities in which Costco operates and the environment as a whole.

According to Jigar Shah, CEO of SunEdison, “Costco has a true commitment to offering consumers the highest quality products at low cost. Key to that is controlling and managing every cost to assure the ultimate value is delivered to its customers. This solar power plant will enable Costco to realize the immediate benefits of reduced energy prices and long-term predictable energy pricing.”