Costco’s Innovative Off-Grid EV Charging Pilot Project
Overview
Costco Wholesale, a company dedicated to sustainability, launched an innovative pilot project at its Mira Loma Distribution Facility to explore renewable energy-based EV charging solutions. This initiative supports Costco’s Climate Action Plan, which focuses on environmental responsibility, achieving measurable results, and fostering continuous improvement.
Faced with the growing need to support electric vehicles (EVs) in its fleet, Costco sought an efficient, scalable, and eco-friendly solution. The Mira Loma facility became the testing ground for a cutting-edge, off-grid EV charging system.
The Challenge
Building EV infrastructure at a large scale presents several challenges:
Costco needed an approach that could bypass these issues while meeting its sustainability objectives.
The Solution
To tackle these challenges, Costco partnered with Sol-Ark, Trinity Structures, and EndurEnergy to develop a standalone, off-grid EV charging system. This solution generates and stores solar energy, ensuring consistent power availability for the EV fleet.
Key Features of the System:
Each system operates independently, delivering energy on-site without relying on traditional utility infrastructure.
Results and Impact
The Mira Loma project achieved impressive results, demonstrating the potential of off-grid EV charging systems:
In just four months, Costco successfully designed, built, and deployed its off-grid EV charging solution. The system eliminated the need for trenching, transformers, and other traditional infrastructure upgrades, making it faster and more cost-effective.
A Model for the Future
Costco’s Mira Loma facility sets a new standard for EV fleet electrification. By implementing innovative off-grid solutions, the company is advancing its goal of converting fleet vehicles to alternative fuels by 2035.
This project highlights the power of renewable energy technology and its ability to drive both sustainability and operational efficiency. Costco’s pilot serves as a blueprint for other organizations looking to embrace clean energy solutions and reduce their environmental footprint.
King Electric and Solar was asked to install and commission an 80kw solar carport for Costco which is utilized to power their electric yard goat fleet. This project involved coordination with proprietary monitoring system, disparate battery and inverter vendors, ev charging vendors, and clients with demands for exceptional quality. These requirements were met and the customer is happily continuing to operate their fleet with ongoing support from King Electric and Solar.
