In 2008, Woodman’s Food Markets debuted its first high-performance, energy efficient store in Oak Creek. The location features the warehouse style format similar to its 11 other locations in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, and is home to 250 employees, including 80 full-time workers.

During the construction phase, the Janesville-based supermarket chain paid close attention to how it could save money by reducing energy consumption in the new 236,000-square foot facility. By choosing energy efficient light fixtures, refrigeration equipment, and heating, cooling and ventilation systems, Woodman’s Food Markets will save more than 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 40,000 therms of natural gas annually—enough energy to power 200 Wisconsin homes for a year. The grocer will also enjoy $150,000 in energy savings on its utility bills each year.

“We were amazed by the savings,” says Clinton Woodman, vice president of Woodman’s Food Markets. “These measures have lowered our maintenance and operating costs while helping save energy and improve our bottom line.”

Energy savings — look for it in your grocer’s freezer

With the help of Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, Woodman’s Food Markets received $143,000 in financial incentives to help install energy saving measures throughout the Oak Creek store, including:

• Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting in all of its reach-in refrigerated cases. LEDs are a visually attractive option to enhance product appearance with clean-appearing light. LEDs also generate less heat inside the refrigeration cases which means less energy is wasted. Woodman’s also installed motion-sensor controls on the LED case lighting. Since the store is open 24 hours-a-day, the controls are well suited to quickly turn lights on when customers are near and turn off during periods of inactivity. Unlike fluorescents, LEDs turn on instantaneously in cold conditions.

• T5 fluorescent lighting throughout the sales floor and occupancy controlled T8 fluorescent fixtures in its warehouse. The T5s last longer and provide a more attractive light than standard fluorescent or incandescent fixtures. The occupancy sensors used in conjunction with warehouse lighting turn lights down or off when an area is not in use, saving up to 50 percent on energy costs and extending the equipment life by reducing “on” time.

• Anti-sweat heater controls to ensure that display case door heaters are used only when necessary and remain off when glass fogging or ice buildup is not an issue. This is especially useful in Wisconsin, where humidity levels are only high during the summer months.

• Water-cooled condensers (versus air-cooled models) to reduce the overall compressor horsepower by 20 percent and reduce the number of refrigeration racks from 10 to eight. The water-cooled condensers will provide a more even and constant temperature while operating at lower condensing temperatures and pressures.

• Ambient sub-cooling to lower the temperature of the refrigerant that is supplying the fixtures, walk-in coolers and freezers. The colder the refrigerant is at the fixture, the more efficient the entire refrigeration system operates. The ambient sub-cooling is being utilized during the fall, winter and spring seasons and will help save more than $6,350 per year.

• Plastic cooler strip curtains on its walk-in cooler doors in the warehouse, as well as the liquor and dairy departments on the sales floor. This will keep cool air in and reduce air infiltration, while allowing customers to easily access items.

At this rate, Woodman’s will save approximately $150,000 over the course of a year, which results in a payback period of approximately 14 months. “We’re using better technologies, seeing substantial savings and helping the environment,” Woodman explains. “It’s a win-win for us.”

Check out Focus on Energy for yourself

Focus on Energy provides specialized support for businesses throughout Wisconsin with project evaluation assistance, savings assessments, feasibility studies, best-practice training, energy management tools, and much more. To learn more, visit focusonenergy.com or call 800.762.7077.