Efficient Grocery Stores Save Money

When it comes to energy use, grocery stores have traditionally been the hungriest of energy hogs. How else can you chill the ice cream, bake the bread and light the shopping aisles, you ask? Actually, a growing number of newly constructed supermarkets are emerging leaner and more efficient than ever before.

In Meadville, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, brothers Garth and Bob Valesky recently received an Energy Star award and a commendation from Governor Ed Rendell for renovating Valesky's Market. The 28,000 square foot store's new high-performance refrigeration units, compressors and lighting mean Valesky's now consumes about as much energy as the average-sized single family home. "As independent business owners, we have always been very motivated to reduce our costs," Garth Valesky told the Associated Press recently. "We have been able to take advantage of energy-saving improvements offered by new technology."

Janesville, Wisconsin's Pick 'n Save store also recently took on the issue of refrigeration, which accounts for more than 60% of an average grocery store's energy use. Pick 'n Save invested just under $12,000 to install controls on the condensation-controlling heaters that control condensation on refrigerated display cases. The one-time expense is expected to reap annual savings of approximately $16,000 per year.

And it isn't just the small stores waking up to the opportunity for significant energy savings. North Carolina-based Lowes Foods recently received the Energy Star designation (given to buildings that are among the nation's top 25% for energy performance) after retrofitting five of its stores. Measures included new heating and cooling systems, refrigeration units, and control systems. The conservation measures will help Lowes foods save enough to power 444 homes for one year and cut carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 10,000 tons each year. No wonder the company has pledged to build its future new stores according to Energy Star criteria, using approximately half the power of its un-renovated older stores.

These investments do more than save money. They also make for better shopping environments. At Vic's Market in Sacramento, California, for example, new freezer units not only save about $1,600 annually, but also have helped sales by eliminating temperature fluctuations within the store. "People complained that it was too cold in the freezer aisle before," explains Vic D'Stefani, the owner. "With the new equipment they shop longer." The store's initial investment of about $145,000 will be recouped in just three years thanks to annual utility-bill savings of $48,000.