Smart Store Design Saves Sporting Goods Company Nearly $500,000

(Photo: The new Scheels store in Johnstown, Colorado. Credit: SageGlass)

Smart store design helped the sporting goods and entertainment chain Scheels save nearly $500,000 on energy costs at their superstore in Johnstown, Colorado in the first year alone.

Dynamic glass, automated HVAC controls, and better building automation contributed to a decrease in electricity consumption compared to a similarly sized Scheels store, according to an energy savings case study published by the glass manufacturer SageGlass.

“A holistic, system-level approach is critical for reducing energy consumption and creating more sustainable buildings,” said SageGlass CEO Alan McLenaghan.

Employee-owned and operated Scheels has 27 stores in 12 states, and a building style that features large roof skylights, SageGlass explained. However, the traditional glazing created unwanted heat gain as well as glare. For their new store in Johnstown, Scheels used smart glass with sensors and controls that tint automatically.

“Better insulation, LED lighting, enhanced building automation HVAC controls, and smart glass were used in combination to increase building performance and energy savings,” the study noted. Scheels had approximately 24,500 square feet of SageGlass installed in large roof skylights and the main store entrance.

During the first year of operation, from October 2017 to September 2018, the 250,000-square-foot Johnstown store had a 73% decrease in electricity consumption compared to a 220,000-square-foot store in Overland Park, Kansas. Energy cost savings were $487,193.

“On average, Scheels reduced their electricity consumption by 338,329 kilowatt hours per month,” according to SageGlass. “This amounted to an average monthly savings of $40,599, calculated by assuming a cost of $0.12 per kilowatt hour.”