Green Technology

"Wal-Mart ... [NYSE: WMT] ...will open ... [Jan. 18, 2007] in Kansas City, Mo. the first ...High-Efficiency stores that will use 20 percent less energy than a typical Supercenter.  ... will help the retailer move one step closer to achieving its  environmental goals, which include using less energy and producing less waste."

"In 2005, Mal-Wart opened two experimental stores in McKinney, Texas, and Aurora, Colo., to test several different environmentally friendly technologies, ranging from wind power to pervious pavement, from waterless urinals to light-emitting diodes. ... plans to open the next High-Efficiency store in Rockton, Ill., this spring."

"To achieve the 20 percent energy reduction ... the company will target two main energy-consuming units: the heating and air conditioning system (HVAC), and the refrigeration system. ... the new HVAC and more efficient refrigeration systems are fully integrated so that 100 percent of the heat rejected by the refrigeration system is reclaimed into the HVAC. The reclaimed heat is then converted into usable energy. By incorporating a loop-piping design, the ... system also reduces the amount of installed copper and the total refrigerant charge required."

"Other energy-saving technologies ... include the installation of ultra-efficient case fans, glass doors on medium temperature grocery cases, RollSeal® quick response doors to seal air in areas such as the Garden Center, and a top-of-the-line dehumidification system. ... a daylight harvesting system, which uses skylights to refract daylight throughout the store and light sensors ...  During periods of higher natural daylight, the system then dims or turns off the store lights when they aren’t needed, ..."

"... also features GE’s energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED) refrigerated case lighting. LEDs have a longer life span than fluorescent bulbs, produce less heat and use significantly less energy than typical grocery case lighting. ... motion sensor-driven LED lights have been installed in all freezer and medium-temperature refrigerated cases.  ... the lights in these cases automatically turn off, and quickly turn back on when a customer approaches."

"...is committed to selling products that sustain our resources and our environment. As part of this store’s grand opening events,...donation of 21,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), Wal-Mart will aid the city’s campaign to distribute CFLs to low-income and senior citizen households in Kansas City, Mo. ..".

Via:  Wal*Mart.com  Link