Auchan Retail Portugal has set up a crisis committee for energy management to identify initiatives that contribute to greater savings in energy consumption.
The creation of this special committee is part of a wider set of measures aimed at reducing energy consumption in stores and the head office.
The measures already implemented by the group include the switch to 100% energy from renewable sources by purchasing green energy with certificate of origin.
In addition, the company is progressively equipping its facilities with photovoltaic panels, namely at petrol stations, hypermarkets and shop car parks.
The retailer noted that, over the last decade, it has reduced its electricity consumption by 33% per square metre of sales area, while 14 of its largest shops already have ISO 14001 environmental certification.
Other Initiatives
Auchan Retail Portugal has already invested in new and more efficient air conditioning and cold storage systems; closing the cold storage cabinets with doors; LED lighting; centralised technical management (refrigeration, air conditioning, lighting and electrical installations); and a consumption monitoring system.
In September of this year, Auchan identified and implemented additional measures for different store areas.
In the bakery, pastry and gastronomy departments, ovens are switched off up to 20 minutes before the end of production, while the packaging/sealing machines, chargers, weight gauging scales, and coffee machines are switched off at the end of the day.
In the offices and sales areas, measures have been taken to control the lighting through presence sensors, regulating the air conditioning in the meeting/training rooms and the temperature in winter and summer, and putting equipment in off mode at the end of the activity/operation.
The retailer has also introduced compulsory training for all employees in 'Environmental Management', which has to be repeated every two years.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
