Synopsis: Conservation of energy is starting to gain the spotlight as a potential alternative to reliance on nuclear and fossil-fuel power and the hazards they carry, but it is more than just rhetoric in San Luis Obispo where a natural foods store has installed a comprehensive energy management system that already is achieving large-scale savings of electricity — and money, too.
Conservation is emerging as a major means of reducing the public's reliance on nuclear power and fossil fuels — both of which pose potential fatal threats to human life — and the fact is, 60% of California's electricity is consumed by commercial and industrial users. Therefore, as the biggest users, they can be the biggest savers of electricity through conservation.
One commercial enterprise has already made a major start in that direction and could be the model for other stores and factories. It is New Frontiers, the natural foods store, which recently moved into a new and larger facility in southern San Luis Obispo and put into practice an expansive energy-saving system. New Frontiers has four others stores, three in Arizona, and one in Solvang, CA.
Conservation has been designated as one of the main goals — along with increases in renewables — of a new statewide network of organizations advocating alternatives to reliance on nuclear energy (See in this issue: Statewide Network Forms to Close Nuclear Plants). Although not widely known, fossil fuels that are burned and the emissions are released into the air emit particulate matter, which can be life-threatening (EPA - Particle Pollution).
The new San Luis Obispo store at 1531 Froom Ranch Way just off Los Osos Valley Road operates on what the owners call an advanced energy management system that features:
— Tight controls on lighting, heating, air conditioning, refrigeration and water use,
— Restrictions on use of paint, which can be hazardous to health,
— Recycled and reclaimed wood bins,
— Polished concrete floors that need no waxing,
— Use of glycol to reduce significantly the high costs of refrigeration,
— Solar tubes that reflect sunlight from outdoors, which foregoes the need for inner lighting on sunny days,
— Planned installation of outdoor solar panels, which are expected to save the store $27,000 a year with increases each year afterward,
— Urinals that use no water.
Jake Collier, vice president of New Frontiers Natural Marketplace company, said it installed its first energy management system in the Flagstaff, AZ , store when it opened in 2008 and plans on installing the system in all stores.
"New Frontiers has always felt that each of us has the power to influence positive change in some way," said. "We feel that our mission is to provide healthy choices in a delightful shopping experience. We embrace the opportunity to improve the quality of life in our community and feel that we are all stewards of this fragile planet and by working together we can create a cleaner and safer environment for ourselves and future generations."
Here are more details provided by Collier on its energy-saving policies:
—The energy management system automatically controls lighting, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration to eliminate energy waste.
— The system was more expensive to install than conventional energy devices but will save money— and energy— in the long run.
— One of the biggest expenses in refrigeration besides power is the refrigerant. With the glycol system, only a fraction of the conventionally-used freon is needed for the system. A traditional system needs a storage tank of freon at the compressor which is then pumped out through the refrigeration lines to all the refrigerated cases in the store. The New Frontiers system only needs freon at the compressors to cool the glycol and water when it returns from the cases out in the store. If there is a leak in the line of a traditional system, freon gas leaks out into the atmosphere. In this system, only glycol and water (which are environmentally harmless) will leak out. Also, the temperature swings in the retail cases are much less in the system, keeping products fresher and giving them a longer shelf life.
— The waterless urinals have a cartridge in the drain of the urinal that contains a thick blue liquid that allows the urine to pass through down the drain. This cartridge needs to be replaced only every three to four months depending on the usage. All faucets in the bathrooms shut off automatically.
— Produce and bulk display bins are constructed from recycled snow fencing from Wyoming. This material originally was used as a snow fencing for 10 years, then it is replaced and recycled into building materials. Recycled materials also are used in the decor over the juice bar, customer service desk and some counters.
— All paints used in he new store are not volatile organic compound (VOC) paints. The Environmental Protection Agency says paints, stains, and other architectural coatings produce about nine percent of the VOC emissions from consumer and commercial products, making them the second-largest source of VOC emissions after automobiles.
— The retail floors are made of polished concrete which is a green feature in construction. Any other floor-covering, whether it is green or not, uses up resources. By polishing the concrete, the natural material is improved to be the final surface. The polished concrete never needs waxing, only sweeping and mopping, as does all floors. Polished concrete also gives the floor a unique look depending on the mix of mortar and gravel.
— Solar tubes have been installed throughout the offices, kitchen, bakery, and back rooms to cut down on the need for lighting during daylight hours. They are reflective tubes that focus the natural light outside into the interior spaces. On sunny days some of the offices don't need to turn on the lights as the solar tubes bring in enough sunlight to light up the spaces.
— Infrastructure has been installed on the roof of the store to support solar panels, and the plan is to install the panels by the end of the year with a "LED" screen at the front of the store showing the energy savings in progress to customers. The system is expected to generate between 99 to 103 kW-DC. The estimated energy savings will start out around $27,000 the first year and will increase each year.
