Greening Up the Grocery Aisle

NOTEBOOK-July/August 2009
by Peter A. Smith

Hannaford plans to open a new 49,000-square-foot supermarket in Augusta in late July, with a refrigeration system that also heats the store, a geothermal well, and natural, in-store daylighting.

“When the sun’s out, they literally could turn off the lights,” says Gunnar Hubbard, a green building consultant and principal at Fore Solutions. “Because it’s a retail environment, they won’t turn them off completely. But the less lighting we have, the less cooling we need.”

While green energy design costs more up front, lighting and refrigeration is expected to be about half that of the average supermarket’s, which will likely add up to lower operational costs in the long term.

The building’s design and layout is intended to be the first platinum-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for a supermarket. It’s also designed to make it easier for customers to learn about and make energy-efficient choices, including a plan to give out free reusable bags the first week the store opens.

“We get the benefit when people reuse bags,” says Mike Norton, a Hannaford spokesman. “This new store will be a proving ground for making those kinds of choices. We’re not going to mandate it, but we will say, ‘Here is everything you need to bring groceries home.’ ”

Hannaford Supermarket, Cony Street, (site of the former Cony High School), Augusta