Turning Into Gold
The NACS Green Toolkit explores how convenience and petroleum retailers from around the world profit from sustainable technologies.

The NACS Green Toolkit was designed with a few lofty goals in mind: to help convenience and petro­leum retailers become environmentally responsible, cut expenses, increase efficiency and optimize their operations. Sounds like a tall order, right? But on the pages of the toolkit (which can only be read in electronic format), you’ll find practical tips and information that will help you navigate the over­whelming amount of information out there on how to build a sustainable business.

The toolkit includes sections on energy management sys­tems, power (including solar, wind and geothermal), new construction, gas stations, and how to communicate your green message to staff and customers. A segment on regula­tion and partnerships concludes the main content section.

Six real-life case studies are also included and explore do­mestic and international green practices at Tesco, Rutter’s Farm Stores, Musgrave Retail Partners, Budgens Crouch End, Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes and Giant Eagle. An ap­pendix of online resources will help you get a jumpstart on your research.

As you read the following brief excerpts from the toolkit’s introduction and a section on refrigeration, you’ll see that the NACS Green Toolkit addresses some of today’s top-of-mind green issues and the information shared will bring retailers some long-term successes and more than a few quick wins.

Introduction
Being green. You can’t go a day without hearing about it. Spiraling energy costs and a renewed awareness of the envi­ronment have put green initiatives at the top of the agenda for the global con­venience industry. Industry leaders such as ASDA, Walmart and Tesco are setting targets to reduce their overall energy use by at least 20 percent. But becoming environmentally responsible is not just an issue for industry giants. For smaller operators, as well, cutting energy consumption is rapidly becom­ing a strategic priority.

NACS has produced this Green Toolkit to examine how convenience and petroleum retailers have improved the impact of their stores on the envi­ronment, pleased their shoppers, im­proved sales and cut costs.

The toolkit includes:

• Strategies and tactics you can adapt to your business needs
• Case studies outlining what some companies are doing, which may help you plan your own green approach
• A model communication plan you can use to tell your customers, community and stakeholders about your efforts
• Helpful resources

The following retailers contributed to the development of this publication: ASDA, BP, Budgens, Giant Eagle, Green Valley Grocery, Harry Tuffin, Marks & Spencer, Musgrave Retail Partners, Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, Power Mart, Quick Chek, Ricker Oil, Rutter’s Farm Stores, SeQuential, 7-Eleven, Tes­co, Walmart, W H Smith and Zarco 66.

Refrigeration
According to Energy Star research, refrigeration accounts for nearly 40 percent of the energy used in a typical convenience store and is a key area in which to achieve significant energy and cost savings with the following activities:

Refrigeration generates in-store heat that can strain the HVAC system in warm weather. Integrated refrigera­tion systems solve this problem. These systems employ a central bank of com­pressors located outside (often on the roof) to draw off unwanted heat. Most convenience stores use non-integrated refrigeration systems inside the store. Built-in compressors connected to ex­ternal condensers remove the heat gen­erated by these systems.

• Perform scheduled maintenance.
• Follow the manufacturer’s recom­mendations for defrosting and use defrost controllers.
• Replace weak or broken door seals.
• Monitor temperature settings.
• Replace shaded-pole motors with permanent split capacitors (PSCs) or electronically commutated mo­tors (ECMs).
• Deep clean refrigeration cases annually to ensure efficient air movement.
• Reduce humidity in the store.
• Install a humidistat kit for heaters.
• Hang plastic strip curtains over doorways.
• Maintain unobstructed air vents.
• Avoid empty spaces in open units.
• Turn off nonessential refrigeration when the store is closed.

For central refrigeration systems:

• Monitor system pressures and temperatures.
• Monitor product temperatures.
• Clean evaporator and condenser coils.
• Remove anything that obstructs air flow to fan coils.
• Replace worn belts and damaged or missing suction line insulation.
• Service motors in evaporator and condenser fans.
• Monitor the refrigerant charge, suction and head pressure.

Some additional ideas for you to consider:

Install display case shields. Research found that retailers could realize energy reductions of 9 percent over a 23-hour period by using aluminum shields when a store is closed.

Close the doors. Leaving refrigera­tion unit doors open leads to increases in energy demand. Daily activities, such as suppliers propping doors open while stocking or employees leaving doors open to dry a recently mopped floor, have a cumulative effect on your energy costs.

Prevent condensation on doors. In­stall doors that don’t require heaters. Rutter’s (in Pennsylvania and Mary­land) uses Styleline doors that work well when the summer months bring  heat and humidity to the local area. You can also apply clear plastic film to exist­ing doors. Farm Fresh uses General Electric’s Lexan plastic film on doors in its Virginia Beach, Virginia, store. En­ergy and Maintenance Director Jon Perry had this comment:

Install doors on open cases. Open cases, which are more widely used in Europe than in the United States, re­lease cold air into the store. That gener­ally reduces the load on air conditioning in warm weather, but may also make the store uncomfortably cold. The current discussion around energy savings is moving opinion in the direction of in­stalling doors on open cases, but not ev­eryone agrees. Some retailers feel that doors reduce impulse purchasing.

Use small chillers. Stores with central refrigeration systems can use small chill­ers, which are self-contained and not part of the central system. However, these units, though small, do produce heat like a domestic refrigerator and will impose an additional load on the HVAC system.

Install groundwater condensers. In­stead of condensers on the roof, which typically use energy for motors, some companies sink pipes down to subterra­nean aquifers, where natural water movement can take away the unwanted heat produced by refrigeration. (This technique is possible only where suitable aquifers exist and is not likely to be an option for many convenience stores.)

Use green refrigerants. The right re­frigerant can reduce your store’s carbon footprint. Most stores currently use carbon dioxide refrigerant.

Use off-peak electricity. Meet with your electricity supplier to determine ways that you can more effectively use cheaper power. In England, for exam­ple, Marks & Spencer convenience stores use off-peak power to make ice and use ice melt to reduce temperatures in refrigerators and stores. 

Order Today!
Order your copy of the NACS Green Toolkit CD-ROM online or contact Trisha Frazier at tfrazier@nacsonline.com or (703) 518-4291.