When simple is much better than expected...

• Retailer leads the way in its proactive energy saving approach
• Simple retrofit results in wide-scale savings on power and waste

Simple retrofitting that included optimising energy consumption (including lighting and heating) is saving a Scotting retail store energy costs of some € 350 000 annually. Waste has also been significantly reduced thanks to efforts to recycle and convert food waste, in particular, into energy via anaerobic digestion.

The Scotmid Co-operative Moredun store in Edinburgh is one of the first stores that successfully implemented sustainability measures in the UK. One of the first steps was measuring and monitoring the store's energy usage, which helped to identify areas for improvement; namely, a building management system, lighting upgrades, and efficient heating and heat recovery.

Key impacts

At the heart of the store’s retrofitting is the sophisticated building management system, which uses real-time data to improve the efficiency of on-site lighting, heating, and refrigeration. To save energy, the store’s lights are connected to special sensors near the windows which automatically adjust to natural conditions, switching them off when it is sunny and turning them on when it is dark. The lights have also been upgraded from fluorescent to more efficient LEDs..

Efficient heating and heat recovery are other measures targeted during the retrofitting exercise. The heat generated by the fridges is recovered to help heat the building, while an air curtain blows out ambient air to stop heat from escaping when the store doors open.

Another sustainability measure implemented in all Scotmid stores is a waste-to-energy programme. Instead of it ending up in landfill, 77 % of waste is earmarked for recycling and to be turned into energy using ‘anaerobic digestion’.