Wal-Mart Opens Second Experimental Energy-Saving Store
AURORA, Colo. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced that it has launched its second "experimental" store to evaluate energy-saving technologies and environmentally beneficial enhancements. The new store, located here, incorporates evaporative cooling with a low-flow displacement ventilation system. For heating, waste-oil boilers provide hot water for radiant floor heating to help keep pedestrian areas clear of snow, and a solar wall preheats ventilation air, reducing the store's use of natural gas for heating.
The store draws some of its power from a 50-kilowatt wind turbine, 134 kilowatts of solar power, and six 60-kilowatt gas-fired microturbines. The store's energy efficiency features also include daylighting and a variety of energy-efficient electric lighting technologies.