The new assessment comes from the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), which runs a chart showing how well major companies are doing in terms of the switch to solar power. Of the leading corporate solar energy installers across the U.S., Apple has retained the top spot and has made further progress with offsetting its carbon emissions.
With the SEIA’s seventh annual Solar Means Business Report, the data shows that Apple is followed closely by Amazon, Target, Walmart and Switch (Google stands in sixth place).
The chart includes the top 25 corporate solar users, many of whom are Fortune 500 companies (the website Sustainable Business notes that more than 100 of the Fortune 500 companies have already received significant results by using solar power). Comparing the data over time, the biggest jump in solar installations has happened in the last three years.
The types of solar installations include large off-site installations, as well as data on solar systems located at the site of the businesses themselves. Both of these types of solar capture technology have grown in recent years. The major companies account for 70 percent of commercial solar power, generating an impressive 7,000 megawatts (MW) of installed solar capacity across 35,000 projects in 43 U.S. states.
Major companies are installing solar at record rates. This ideally matches a commitment to the environment and it fits with a good corporate image. Moreover, solar adoption reduces operation expenses and allows corporations to focus resources on their core business strategies.
Commenting on the figures, Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, told TechCrunch: “Top companies are increasingly investing in clean, reliable solar energy because it makes economic sense…corporate solar investments will become even more significant as businesses use solar to fight climate change, create jobs and boost local economies.”
