Al, Unless the SIT installation at Wal-Mart fails to perform well, which is unlikely, I think that Wal-Mart will be putting solar roofs on all of their new stores, especially in the South. To me it is a no-brainer. I think that they will be very pleased with the energy savings from the white roof/solar combination.
WMT has had a lot of bad press recently, and this would be great for PR. Can you imagine when there is a power outage in a city, and the WMT store is still functioning? Perhaps they will also consider battery storage in storm prone hurricane alley, where they could even stay open after dark, and provide power for emergency workers.
Another factor that favors Sit is the lack of roof penetrations. I am familiar with construction, and know that roofers abhor roof penetrations, like those necessary with rack mounted systems. Every penetration is a potential leak source. I think that we have all seen brand new flat roof buildings with the buckets spread around to catch the rain.
Also, the McKinney area is VERY prone to hail. The SIT installation need not worry about hail damage. It happens about twice a year there. My son lives about 40 miles from the store, and last year his neighbor acroos the street had a hail stone the size of a baseball smash his windshield. All of the cars at the local Toyota dealer looked like a madman with a ball peen hammer was turned loose. The solar roof can also be walked on by maintenance guys, like the AC guys.
All in all, things look good except for the lack of machines. Bring on a billion dollar Unisolar IPO.
Del |
