Target Tests First Net Zero Energy Location

by Vanessa Nikolic
APPA News
March 27, 2022

Target Corporation recently announced its most sustainable store yet, which will test multiple innovations that generate renewable energy and reduce the building’s emissions.

Located in Vista, California, the store will take part in a remodeling project to help guide the retailer’s efforts to achieve its sustainability goals.

The Vista location will generate renewable energy through more than 3,000 solar panels across its roof and recently installed carport canopies.

Target has applied for a net zero energy certification from the International Living Future Institute. The California store is expected to produce up to a 10% energy surplus each year that it can transmit back to the local power grid.

The building features additional environmentally friendly elements to further reduce emissions, including its HVAC heating that is powered through the rooftop solar panels, instead of natural gas. The store also made the switch to carbon dioxide refrigeration, a natural refrigerant that Target plans to implement chain-wide by 2040 to reduce its direct operations’ emissions by 20%.

Target is building on reducing its carbon footprint to support the company’s sustainability strategy Target Forward. One of the company’s commitments include achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions enterprise-wide by 2040.

While the Vista store is the most sustainable Target location to date, the company has other action items in progress. Target’s offsite solar and wind energy contracts are effectively guiding the company toward its renewable energy goal, as it has secured new partnerships that will allow it to purchase nearly half of its electricity from renewable sources later this year.

Many Target locations already use LED lighting instead of conventional lighting which has helped to conserve 10% of its stores’ energy use.

Additionally, the recycling and donations operations at the Vista store, along with other Target facilities, support the company’s goal to move 90% of its U.S. operations’ waste away from landfills by 2030 as it aims to work toward a Zero Waste certification.

The Vista site also offers electric vehicle (EV) charging spaces to support Target’s nationwide EV efforts, as the retailer offers more than 1,350 spaces at over 150 locations across 20 states.