One of the largest costs in operating today's food stores is energy - power for lighting, heating, cooling, and refrigeration. And one way to improve mechanical and energy efficiency, food storage, and the shopping environment has been the use of electronic controls. Such technology has made possible substantial savings in lighting cost by automatically reducing lights during hours when few customers are shopping.
Store temperature and humidity are controlled so that shoppers are always comfortable without excess heating or cooling, which can adversely affect the energy load, including the store's refrigeration.