PORTLAND, OR — (Marketwired) — 10/30/13 — The Green Building Initiative (GBI) announced today that Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. recently received a two Green Globes certification for their Germantown, MD store. The Green Globes building assessment and certification program awards qualifying buildings one through four Globes based on environmental achievements in the following areas: Management, Site, Energy, Water, Materials & Resources, Emissions, and Indoor Environment.
Green Globes, a user-friendly alternative to LEED, is administered in the U.S. by the GBI. Its web-based program for green building guidance and certification includes an on-site assessment by a third party. The newly released version of Green Globes for New Construction incorporates specific refrigeration criteria as outlined by EPA–s GreenChill Certification for grocery stores. Not only does the Green Globes program embrace the issue of refrigerants, but it also can help a building achieve significant ROI in the areas of energy, water and waste diversion.
“We are pleased to be recognized by GBI for our efforts to mitigate the environmental impacts of building our Germantown, Maryland store,” said Kevin Marren, Wegmans project manager in store planning. “Our new store design is consistent with our corporate goals of reducing energy consumption and minimizing our carbon footprint while giving our customers and employees a healthy indoor environment to work and shop in.”
In achieving points within the energy section of the Green Globes tool, Wegmans integrated daylight sensors with the lighting fixtures in the general seating area, the café and in the general merchandise areas where there is natural light from skylights or windows. Depending on the amount of natural light in those areas, the sensors will lower or turn off sections of lighting — thus saving energy. In addition, a building automation system monitors the equipment in the store and Wegmans will be alerted via email that there are energy spikes when problems occur. Another innovative, energy efficient measure is the usage of a heat exchanger that collects and captures heat from the refrigeration system; in turn this reused heat helps generate hot water within the building.
About Wegmans Food Markets
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is an 82-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Wegmans has been named one of the –100 Best Companies to Work For– by FORTUNE magazine for sixteen consecutive years. In 2013, Wegmans ranked #5 on the list.
About the Green Building Initiative
The Green Building Initiative is a nonprofit organization and ANSI Standards Developer dedicated to accelerating the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. Founded in 2004, the organization is the U.S. provider of the Green Globes® and Guiding Principles Compliance building certification programs.
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Sharene Rekow
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