Environmental Leader

Hannaford Bros. and Food Lion, two primarily East Coast supermarket chains, are adding “green” prototype stores.

Hannaford Bros.’ new location in Augusta, Maine, will open July 25, hoping to become the first supermarket to be certified under the platinum designation of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, according to a press release.

The 49,000-square-foot store is expected to use about half the energy as a comparable conventional supermarket.

The location was constructed with the following sustainability factors in mind:

• About 96 percent of the former Cony High School building that formerly stood on the lot was recycled or reused. More than 99 percent of the building’s contents – desks, furniture, fixtures – were reused or recycled.
• Of the wood used in store construction, 86 percent is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
• The store’s Green Chill refrigeration system will use half the energy and half the refrigerant as other systems.
• Water from two geothermal wells about 750 feet below the store will help regulate the store’s temperature.
• A 41 kilowatt solar system provides on-site power.
• A 7,000 square foot green roof, with layered soil and drought resistant plants, will reduce water runoff and help insulate the store.
• Low-flow dual-flush toilets, waterless urinals and low-flow faucets in restrooms and ice-free cases in the seafood department, the new store will reduce water usage by more than 38 percent, when compared to a typical grocery store.

Food Lion’s new store, in Columbia, S.C., is being built to LEED standards. From construction methods to energy-efficient services, the store will set an example for future Food Lion locations, reports BizJournals.com.

The store will feature:

• an on-site recycling center
• natural lighting provided by skylights
• preferred parking for low-emission vehicles
• water conservation methods to save 44 percent in water compared to other Food Lion stores
• energy efficiency that is 20 percent better than the industry standard.