Walgreens going green

Walgreens plans to build first net zero retail store in the U.S.

By Paul Ridden
gizmag, March 29, 2013

Drugstore chain giant Walgreens has announced its intention to build what the company believes will be the first net zero retail store in the United States. Once open for business, engineers anticipate that the combination of solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal technology, energy-efficient building materials, LED lighting and ultra-high-efficiency refrigeration will allow the new store to produce energy equal to or greater than it consumes.

Walgreens already has a number of green technology achievements under its belt. Of its 8,000 or so stores throughout the nation, 150 make use of solar power generation, there's one in Oak Park (IL) that's using a geothermal system and another in Texas that harnesses energy from the wind. Some 400 of its stores offer electric vehicle charging, and 15 Walgreens distribution centers generate more revenue from recycling than they spend on dealing with waste.

The company also runs two gold status LEED certified stores, and aims to have the new net zero store achieve LEED Platinum certification.

(More here.)