Kroger Stores Receive ENERGY STAR Certification

Forty-one Michigan Kroger stores received ENERGY STAR certification during 2014, verifying the division’s commitment to reduce energy consumption and related costs. Kroger’s Ypsilanti store, located at 2010 Whittaker Rd., was the 150th store certified during the year, earning The Kroger Co. recognition as an Elite Member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR certification program. Cincinnati-based Kroger was the only grocery retailer granted Elite Member certification status. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy to help Americans save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. The Kroger Co. of Michigan presently has 77 stores with ENERGY STAR certification. “Proper energy management is critical to the success of our sustainability initiative and our commitment to be a good corporate citizen within the communities where we live and serve,” says Jayne Homco, president, The Kroger Co. of Michigan. “We are very proud of our energy-related accomplishments in 2014 and look forward to continuing our efforts during the coming year.” Employing skylights and technology such as LED lights, variable speed drives, anti-sweat controls, interval metering and waste heat reclamation, Kroger’s Michigan division helps lead the company’s energy conservation efforts. LED lighting installed in glass door cases, fresh meat cases and back room coolers and freezers uses 75 percent less energy than fluorescent lighting. “Our goal is to reduce Kroger’s carbon footprint while creating a very positive shopping experience for customers,” Homco says. “We will seek ENERGY STAR certification for remodeled stores during the coming year and will pilot a program to test medium temperature glass doors in the dairy and meat departments. We will also continue to focus on reducing water usage.” The Kroger Co. of Michigan’s conservation efforts are part of a corporate-wide commitment to reduce energy consumption based on customer requests for environmentally friendly stores. On a national level, Kroger has reduced energy consumption in its stores by 35 percent since 2000. The EPA introduced the ENERGY STAR program in 1992 and since has helped thousands of businesses and organizations save energy and reduce costs. By 2013, the ENERGY STAR program helped Americans cumulatively prevent more than 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.