Retailers nation wide quick to embrace ‘green’ attitude

By Elizabeth Aguilera The Denver Post

Posted on Monday, October 1, 2007

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DENVER — Dozens of Colorado retailers have made moves toward energy conservation and independence, and now the Burt Automotive Group is going full-tilt with a new green dealership.

In Boulder, outdoor retailer R. E. I. is finishing its prototype green store.

Both are seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification under the U. S. Green Building Council’s retail pilot program.

Burt plans to break ground by the end of the year on a facility to replace its current Toyota dealership in suburban Englewood. It will be the first certified green auto dealership in Colorado.

The proposed facility’s green elements will include a water cistern, energy-conserving building orientation, soil conservation, recycled carpet, reclaimed floor tiles, triple-pane windows, geothermal use, a layered roof system and highspeed garage doors.

“ It makes economic sense and is good for the environment, ” said L. G. Chavez Jr., president and chief executive of Burt Automotive Group.

The Boulder R. E. I. store has been expanded to meet LEED silver standards, and the company is in the certification process with the Green Building Council.

The store, which reopens Oct. 5, was rebuilt with dozens of green factors, including three solar strategies — passive solar, solar thermal and solar electric.

The building will use 30 percent less water than building codes require, and the company estimates the store’s solar energy, used to heat water, will meet 70 percent of the store’s hotwater needs. It has also been redone with recycled rubber flooring made from products such as tires and tennis shoes.

“ A lot of companies are realizing how important corporate responsibility is, ” said Justin Doak, manager of LEED for Retail at the U. S. Green Building Council. “ Retail is a crazy world — they are all jumping on board. ”

For retailers, Doak said, going green provides a three-pronged benefit: a healthier store for consumers and clients; energy efficiency and decreased costs; and corporate social responsibility.

LEED certification is based on a rating system that works on points. For example, if a company reduces its energy load by 14 percent, it earns two points. The more points, the higher the certification. Levels include certified, silver, gold and platinum.

So far, more than 60 companies are working under the pilot program, which has new construction and commercial interior components.

A new Wal-Mart in suburban Aurora was built with a variety of green components, including solar cells, LED lights and boilers that use motor oil from the tire-and-lube center and fat from cookers in the deli to heat the store.

A new J. C. Penney store in Denver, used as a national model for the U. S. Green Building Council’s pilot program, is being built with high-efficiency air-conditioning equipment, wall and roof insulation that exceeds requirements, recycled carpet and waterless urinals.

“ We’ve been investing in these new technologies because they make sound business sense, ” said Michael Dastugue, property-development director for J. C. Penney. “ There are upfront costs, but there is a payback. The reduction in energy is something we think makes sense not only from a community perspective but from a shareholder perspective. ”

At Staples, plans for new stores across the country include more efficient lighting and sensor equipment, energymanagement systems, reflective roof membranes and solar installations, said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs.

The company has nine sites now using solar panels and another 150 sites under consideration for solar panels, said Buckley.

“ It’s important to try to stabilize the escalating energy costs, ” he said. “ That is good, smart business, but there is also a corollary environmental benefit. ”

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