Next Generation Wal-Mart Uses 25% Less Energy!
I know, I know. I’m treading on thin water with this one, what with all the haters and anti-sprawlsters out there. But strictly to make the point that businesses can use less and save money, I like this story. Next week, Wal-Mart will open the first store of the company’s next generation of green stores in Romeoville, Illinois. Where their first generation of two green stores saved about 20% energy, this store will save about 25% energy. The energy savings result from experimentations in refrigeration and heating/cooling systems in their first generation of green stores.
The new high-efficiency store will have a white roof, low-flow bathroom fixtures, LED lights, and advanced daylight harvesting. And it’s the embodiment of Wal-Mart’s steps towards greener retailing. In another store in Chicago, Wal-Mart is testing a green roof. They’re also working on packaging reduction, ethical and green sourcing, in-store recycling, and more. I say, let’s keep putting that happy yellow dot to work at green retail innovation.
