Sainsbury’s claims new store in Solihull is Britain’s ‘greenest’

The store features 42 solar panels on the roof generating 9,000 kWh per year electricity. It also requires 30% less heat due to insulation from double glazing on the shop front and timber structural insulated panels within its construction.

Other features include natural refrigeration reducing carbon emissions by 33% and a new highly energy efficient LED lighting used across the whole shop, while the signage in the store for customers is made from recycled materials

The recycling rate for the construction waste was 98%, which was inline with the site waste management plan. In addition, the store’s design reduced the actual construction time by four weeks, helping to further reduce its impact on the environment.

The supermarket chain developed the store by converting a former tanning salon and metal fabricators workshop in the area.

Sainsbury’s head of sustainability, engineering and energy, Paul Crewe, said: “Each [feature] has been selected to help us reduce our environmental impact and achieve reduced carbon and energy savings. We believe this makes it Britain’s greenest convenience store finished to the very highest standards.

“The environmental features in the store will also play a big part in helping us to achieve our stretching carbon emissions reduction target of 30% absolute by 2020. We will be monitoring its performance closely over the coming months and hope it will provide an important blueprint for future Sainsbury’s Local stores.”

In January, Sainsbury’s installed a new LED lighting system at its Leek supermarket which it claims will deliver 59% energy savings and help reduce the new store’s carbon footprint.

Leigh Stringer