A Store That’s Energized

The new “green” Wal-Mart in the city of Industry is actually dark gray, but it does have a wide green horizontal stripe, instead of the traditional Wal-Mart red, to set it off as a special place.

Billed as an environmental demonstration store, its sensor-driven skylights direct sunlight to needed areas, its air-conditioning system uses evaporation cooler-condensers and a new CFC-free refrigerant, and its front awning is actually a photo-voltaic panel.

“It’s the same used in the space shuttles,” said Mark Freeman, the assistant store manager. “It generates a goodly part of our electricity and is a really cool feature.”

This is the chain’s third eco-store, Freeman said. One in Kansas focuses on recycling, another in Oklahoma combines recycling and energy management. “Our focus here is energy management.”

The store projects an annual energy savings of 1.3 million kilowatt hours, which translates to a $75,000 reduction in operating costs.

“What the customers comment on most is how open the building feels and the natural light,” Freeman said. “Nice bright sunlight just makes things a little more chipper.”