Environmental Leader

When compared to energy used at other supermarkets, Fresh & Easy is using about 32 percent less energy per square foot across its 130 locations.

The reduced energy use results in about $3 million in savings a year, according to Verisae, which sold Fresh & Easy a suite of sustainability software.

The stores, in total, are using about 30 gigawatt hours less energy a year, compared to the industry average, according to a press release.

In addition to the sofware, Fresh & Easy benefits from LED lighting and prismatic insulated skylights, said Steve Hagen, Director of Procurement, Engineering and Maintenance for Fresh & Easy.

The retailer also is trying to reduce its refrigerant use by decreasing the leak rate to less than 10 percent, Hagen said.

In September Fresh & Easy opened its first LEED Gold certified store, in Cathedral City, Calif., according to a press release.

Fresh & Easy is the U.S. subsidiary of global mega-retailers Tesco.

For its sustainability software needs, Tesco is using ecoSoftware from CA, which formerly was known as Computer Associates