5 Ways Retailers Can Improve Retail Store Energy Efficiency

 

The retail chain accounts for a significant portion of the total energy costs of the entire commercial sector in our country. As such, efficient energy-saving techniques can help retailers cut down on their operational costs while reducing their negative impact on the environment too.  

Many key areas present multiple opportunities for store owners to reduce to improve their retail energy efficiency. Here’s a closer look at the same.

·         Lighting

Well-designed and brightly-lit stores are generally very appealing to potential customers. In many ways, the attractive presentation of a store’s products and services can define its success in the long run. Following are some effective ways through which retailers can improve their retail energy efficiency while still receiving a solid footfall:

o   Keeping lights switched off when they are not needed, ideally through automated technologies

o   Opting for energy-efficient lighting options like LEDs instead of traditional CFLs

o   Using lower level lighting in non-customer store areas to decrease the overall energy consumption

·         Heating

With estimates suggesting that heating accounts for approximately 40% of energy consumption in the entire retail chain, many stores can reduce heating costs by adopting just a few simple energy-saving measures:

o   Setting shop temperatures realistically because reducing the temperature by only 1% can reduce energy consumption by up to 8%

o   Syncing the heating system with a store’s business hours by either using advanced technologies like IoT and machine learning or via simpler, traditional timer switches

·         Ventilation and air-conditioning

Customers often take ventilation and air-conditioning for granted nowadays. Every retail store is expected to have an efficient HVAC system, and since the options in HVAC equipment are numerous, retailers can employ several energy efficiency methods too:

o   Opting for natural ventilation as much as possible when finalizing the store design

o   Investing in packaged HVAC units can help retailers meet their cooling, heating and ventilation needs optimally as such units can significantly reduce power consumption as compared to other options