Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) announced this week that it will open four new stores that use 25% less energy than the typical Wal-Mart Supercenter.
The company said in addition to saving energy, the new stores will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by lowering refrigerant by 90%.
The first of these stores is scheduled to open in Romeoville, Ill., on January 23.
According to Leslie Dach, Wal-Mart’s executive vice president of corporate affairs and government relations, the company is working towards "a day when every new store is 25-30% more energy efficient than it was in 2005."
In 2005, Wal-Mart opened two stores to experiment with waste reduction techniques. These stores also tested solar and wind power.
Dach says this second generation of what the company is calling High Efficiency stores will incorporate the lessons learned from the two stores opened in 2005.
For instance, the improvement in energy efficiency comes from a new secondary refrigeration loop combined with an advanced water-source heating, cooling and refrigeration system. The company says that technology was tested in Wal-Mart’s Experimental Stores and uses a non-refrigerant-based solution to cool refrigerator and freezer cases, resulting in a 90% reduction in refrigerant.
According to Wal-Mart the newer energy-saving stores will also include white roofs, low-flow bathroom faucets, LED lights and an advanced daylight harvesting system.
The company has set a goal of one day using only renewable energy and creating zero waste and has also challenged its suppliers to strive for the same goals. The retailer says it will save $3.4 billion by reducing packaging 5% in its stores by 2013.
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