The grocery retail industry as a whole can take a much harder look at how it recovers energy and to what degree it is doing so, considering these systems holistically.
Hannaford Supermarkets, a subsidiary of Delhaize Group of Brussels, Belgium, operates more than 178 supermarkets in five northeast states. The Duanesburg Supermarket and Pharmacy, modeled after Hannaford's prototype, is a one-story, 35,000-square-foot building. There are approximately 80 employees at the store, making Hannaford the largest employer in the town. Duanesburg is the western-most town in Schenectady County and serves as a bedroom community for Albany.
The surrounding area is both farmland and small housing subdivisions. There were both advantages and drawbacks encountered by building in a rural area. On the one hand, public transportation is extremely limited. On the other hand, we are able to capitalize on our composting program with our close proximity to working farms. Food waste that cannot be sent to a food bank or shelter is separated in the store and then picked up and distributed to local farms for use as compost. This composting program is one of the unique aspects of this project, along with our “GreenChill” heat reclamation system.
By using GreenChill, the store is able to nearly fully heat both the building and service water with heat reclaimed from the refrigeration systems. By incorporating this system, along with the efficient design and control of refrigeration, HVAC, and lighting/daylighting, we estimate our energy savings to be 49 percent of a traditionally-designed supermarket. The GreenChill system also provided the best return on investment strategy, with an approximate three-year payback. Delhaize/Hannaford has made a major commitment to sustainable practices and green building. Our Corporate Responsibility Group has led the charge for sustainable business practices, with core values of Products, People, Planet. By designing our buildings to LEED standards, we strengthen that commitment.
Site context
The project site is located in upstate New York at the intersection of U.S. Route 20 and New York Route 30. It is located on a major highway with easy access off the highway into the parking lot. The area surrounding the project site is rural and also serves as a bedroom community for the Albany area.
