Trinity Structures, Costco’s electrification partner, said it had a successful deployment of the first off-grid electrified structures for Costco’s fleet in its largest distribution center in Mira Loma, CA. The company said this milestone was achieved in only four months, accomplishing design, construction, and deployment with electrified structures that create, convert and conduct solar energy. Prior data has shown that these projects can take up to 24 months to complete, according the Trinity Structures.

Challenges like protracted timelines of electric infrastructure development, grid capacity limitations and delays in grid-tied infrastructure have driven a surge in demand for integrated electrified structures, from which fleets can greatly benefit, Trinity said.

“These off-grid electrified structures enable our fleet to meet and exceed our climate action commitments during this energy transition,” Shay Reed, assistant general merchandising manager for Costco Wholesale, said. “The partnership with Trinity allowed for a solution that is creative, effective, operationally viable and financially responsible.”

Trinity said its electrified structures are an integrated modular ecosystem that creates energy with solar power, converts energy with inverters and batteries and conducts energy through electric vehicle charging or backup power.