Food Lion Owns Most Energy Star Grocery Stores: EPA

SALISBURY, NC - Delhaize-owned Food Lion LLC shone brightest among those grocers recognized yesterday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for achieving Energy Star ratings in energy efficiency. Of the 1,300 grocery stores honored, the retailer owns 703.

"Energy conservation has always been a key goal for Food Lion LLC," said Kyle Mitchell, Food Lion v.p. of store development. "We proudly lead the way with energy conservation initiatives that encourage other companies to conserve energy, too."

Food Lion employs a variety of technologies and initiatives to conserve energy, including demand control systems to prioritize how energy should be used during peak times; heat reclaim; lighting automation, so lights are on only when necessary; and lighting retrofits to increase the efficiency of fixtures and bulbs.

The retailer also works with refrigeration vendors to increase energy efficiency of equipment and through energy awareness campaigns to raise associate knowledge of energy conservation.

For its efforts, Food Lion earned six Energy Star Awards from the EPA, including the Energy Star Sustained Excellence award in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and the Energy Star Partner of the Year award in 2002 and 2003. Food Lion is the only supermarket company to earn Energy Star partner awards in six-consecutive years.

Commercial buildings that earn the Energy Star use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Based on EPA calculations, each of Food Lion's Energy Star stores saves as much as 86,000 kWh per year - enough to power nine American homes for an entire year. The energy savings at each store also prevent 190,920 pounds of CO2 emissions per year, equal to removing the pollution of 19 cars or planting nearly 26 acres of trees.

"Whether you are running a grocery store, a school, or an office building, getting the most out of your energy dollars - while reducing your carbon footprint - just makes sense," said EPA administrator Stephen L. Johnson.

Food Lion operates 1,300 supermarkets, either directly or through affiliated entities, under the banners of Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Harveys, and Reid's, and employs approximately 73,000 associates in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds