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As part of utility-sponsored energy reduction program, The Kroger Co. recently partnered with Ameren Illinois Utilities to upgrade lighting in refrigerated cases in 39 of Kroger’s stores from fluorescent lights to light emitting diode (LED) lights. Ameren’s Act On Energy Business Program has been selected as a 2010 inspiring efficiency award winner by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA).
This is the sixth year of MEEA’s annual competition, which recognizes leaders in energy efficiency in the areas of leadership, education, impact, innovation and marketing. The LED lighting, along with motion sensors, will save the Kroger stores more than $200,000 per year. MEEA noted that in addition to being more energy efficient, LEDs generate less heat, reducing cooling load.
Nationally, Kroger will convert hundreds of stores to the energy-saving program, according to the Murphysboro American. The actual savings are exceeding original projections for the pilot project, the paper said. The Kroger stores will also benefit from reduced maintenance costs because LED lighting is better suited to cold environments and is not susceptible rust or corrosion caused by condensation inside the refrigerated units.
Kroger’s Mid South Division President John Hackett told the Murphysboro American that Kroger builds its stores with energy efficient systems to save energy and reduce waste and that the lighting retrofit “has a faster return on investment than many projects.”
The MEEA award will be presented in January at MEEA's Midwest Energy Solutions Conference. Additional Inspiring Efficiency Awards winners include leadership awards to Janine Midgen-Ostrander of Ohio Consumers' Counsel and Tom Casten of Recycled Energy Development, Commonwealth Edison and Smart Energy Design Assistance Center for education, Interstate Power & Light Company and architecture firm R.L. Just & Associates, P.C., for marketing.
Janine Migden-Ostrander has been an advocate for energy efficiency programs and legislation and has been instrumental in developing working groups for each electric and natural gas utility in Ohio to focus on energy efficiency. Tom Casten is regarded as the nation's leading figure on industrial energy recycling; he has been involved in creating a $1.5 billion portfolio to fund energy recycling projects, served on President Obama's energy advisory team and helped to draft industrial energy efficiency provisions in almost every major national energy or economic stimulus bill in the last few years.
Commonwealth Edison is being honored for integrating energy efficiency education with first-time home buyer money management training and an energy efficiency campaign with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program. Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) developed a program to assist commercial and municipal entities in identifying energy and money saving opportunities and minimizing environmental pollution.
Interstate Power & Light Co. earned its kudos for its initiative to rebuild with energy efficiency a priority in Midwest areas that were damaged by severe flooding. As part of its Act On Energy initiative, Ameren Illinois Utilities developed the Watts Solution Program, featuring its Watt Solutions kit. Each kit contains detailed information on reducing electric usage and a "Kill A Watt meter," which allows customers to plug in an appliance and learn the electrical usage and cost of operating it.
Interstate Power is also recognized for its creation of a 2009 “Being Green” calendar that highlights energy efficiency projects and best practices. R.L. Just & Associates' architects and planners reached out to hundreds of green building professionals to create The St. Louis Green Building Guide.
