SAN MATEO, Calif. and WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Oct. 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SolarCity® (Nasdaq:SCTY), the nation's #1 solar power provider, and Direct Energy, one of North America's largest energy and energy-related services companies, will provide solar electricity and solar energy storage systems at two BJ's Wholesale Club locations, a leading operator of warehouse clubs in the eastern United States.
Two BJ's Wholesale Club sites in Framingham and Dedham, Mass. are early adopters of DemandLogic, SolarCity's smart energy storage system for businesses and commercial users. These are the first BJ's Clubs to install solar energy coupled with storage and will be the first two sites on the East Coast to utilize SolarCity's DemandLogic™ platform.
"BJ's is proud to once again partner with Direct Energy and SolarCity and apply a new smart energy storage system that expands our environmental commitment," said Kevin Moran, manager of utility and energy services at BJ's Wholesale Club. "Solar coupled with battery storage is a great, cost efficient and long-lasting solution for large retailers like BJ's. Improvements like these help keep costs low so we can pass on more savings to our valued members."
The Framingham Club will have more than 400 kilowatts of solar energy while Dedham will install 764 kilowatts of solar energy. Both BJ's Clubs will be installed in conjunction with a 200 kilowatt lithium-ion battery storage system that cuts energy costs by using stored electricity to lower peak demand. These two DemandLogic systems are expected to be installed by February 2015. The projects have the potential to save BJ's thousands of dollars each year on their demand charges alone at each site, and also provide a long-term hedge against rising demand rates. SolarCity will also install a 1.3 megawatt solar system on BJ's distribution facility in Uxbridge, Mass. this year.
"Pairing battery storage with solar PV systems is a new and viable opportunity that positions Direct Energy Business as a total energy management service provider for commercial and industrial customers," said John Schultz, president of Direct Energy Business. "This long-term agreement with these two BJ locations presents an opportunity for us to expand beyond our core commodity offering and in the process, build a longer-term customer relationship."
"DemandLogic was created to provide relief from the onerous demand charges faced by commercial facilities such as BJ's Wholesale Club," said Bob Rudd, director of energy storage project development at SolarCity. "These projects are a testament to our ability to provide customers with immediate savings from a combined solar plus storage system. We're excited to be working with BJ's Wholesale Club and Direct Energy Business on one of the first-of-its-kind storage installations in the country."
SolarCity, Direct Energy Business, and BJ's have already installed one solar system together at a North Brunswick, N.J. site and BJ's boasts nearly 20 solar projects total across the United States. All three BJ's projects announced today were made possible by a dedicated investment fund created by Direct Energy and SolarCity in 2013 to finance up to $124 million in solar projects.
About Direct Energy
Direct Energy is North America's largest provider of heating and cooling, plumbing and electrical services and a leading energy and energy-related services provider with over six million residential and commercial customer relationships. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE:CNA), one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 46 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, please visit www.directenergy.com.
About SolarCity
SolarCity® (Nasdaq:SCTY) provides clean energy. The company has disrupted the century-old energy industry by providing renewable electricity directly to homeowners, businesses and government organizations for less than they spend on utility bills. SolarCity gives customers control of their energy costs to protect them from rising rates. The company makes solar energy easy by taking care of everything from design and permitting to monitoring and maintenance. SolarCity currently serves 15 states and signs up a new customer every minute of the work day. Visit the company online at www.solarcity.com and follow the company on Facebook & Twitter.
About BJ's Wholesale Club
BJ's is dedicated to providing Members with high-quality, brand-name food and merchandise at prices that are significantly lower than supermarkets, supercenters, department stores, drug stores and specialty retail stores. BJ's carries the most product variety of any Membership club with more than 7,000 items, including supermarket-sized staples, USDA Choice meats and stock-up items, as well as all-natural and organic products. BJ's is the only membership club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience, offers the most payment options including EBT.
Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. is a leading operator of warehouse clubs in the eastern United States. The Company currently operates 206 clubs and 119 gas stations in 15 eastern states. Learn more and shop online at www.BJs.com or for exclusive content visit Facebook.com/bjswholesaleclub and Twitter.com/bjswholesale.
This release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements regarding cost savings, generation estimates and customer impact. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward looking statements. You should read the section entitled "Risk Factors" in SolarCity's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and identifies certain of these and additional risks and uncertainties. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.