Tesco to make 30% energy savings at first all-LED store

LED fittings have been installed for all external signage at the store as well as lighting on the sales floor and in staff areas.

In addition, the store’s cold rooms, fridges and freezer are lit by LEDs which are even more efficient compared with standard lighting in cold temperatures.

However, the UK retailer said that the store in Loughborough, does use standard lighting in its bakery oven, where temperatures are too high for LEDs to function.

Environmental programme manager at Tesco, Emmily Sjolander, said: “We have recognised that through the use of LED light fittings we can dramatically reduce energy usage, particularly at Express stores due to their smaller size and lower ceiling height.

“If this delivers the energy savings we have estimated, it is likely that we would replicate this lighting system at other stores. Tesco considers itself a leader in sustainability, and we are committed to identifying and developing new technologies that will improve the efficiency of our stores.”

In July 2012, a report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said that Tesco had fallen behind in its efforts to make 150 stores in the UK Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) free by 2012.

A Tesco spokesperson told edie in July: “We have an ambitious and far reaching climate change strategy and have made a commitment to halving emissions from our stores by 2020, and we are making very good progress.

“We had hoped to roll out 150 by the end of this year, but unfortunately the technology we initially used in our natural units failed to meet our high expectations.

Leigh Stringer