Across Ohio, Walgreens stores go solar

Chicago-based SoCore Energy is helping to bring solar power to Walgreens stores across the state of Ohio.

The company began building solar installations at the first 20 retail locations in Cincinnati earlier this month, and expects to have 53 projects completed by Nov. 11. That would bring the total number of solar installations at Walgreens stores up to 136, and could generate a total of 2 megawatts of energy for the chain.

SoCore plants to use Power-One to supply inverters for the project, and will obtain solar panels from SolarWorld. Power-One is based in California. SolarWorld, headquartered in Bonn, operates production facilities in both Germany and the US.

This past May, the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority provided a $5.2-million loan to SoCore for development of the 53 rooftop solar systems across the state, including five in northwest Ohio. The remainder of the project’s $9.9 million cost is being funded by SoCore and a federal solar tax credit. Akron-based FirstEnergy Solutions is also a partner in the project.

Walgreens will lease the arrays from SoCore for 10 years.