Toys ‘R’ Us Building Largest Solar Rooftop In US

Toys ‘R’ Us has announced a plan to cover 70 percent of its massive New Jersey distribution center with rooftop solar.

The expansive installation will have 37,000 solar panels and will produce over 5 megawatts of power. The Toys ‘R’ Us rooftop encompasses about 32 acres.

The company has entered into a 20 year purchase agreement with the Constellation Energy Group, who is building the project. The rooftop solar project will meet 72 percent of the center’s energy needs, and its carbon footprint will be reduced by 4,569 tons.

Toys ‘R’ Us is not new to solar power. Its store in North Brunswick, New Jersey, Babies ‘R’ Us, has a solar installation. The company is also working on a solar installation for its superstore in Secaucus, N.J..

New Jersey seems to be trying to compete for the biggest solar roof installation in the U.S. There is also a massive installation under construction at the Jersey Gardens mall, which will provide 4.8 megawatts of power.

New Jersey has now become the leading U.S. state for solar, after being ranked second for the most solar photovoltaics installed in 2010.

Image: work in progress at Toys ‘R’ Us in New Jersey, Constellation Energy
Via cnet