JC Penney Opening Pilot Store For Future Green Construction

J. C. Penney is opening a new store in Denver that will pilot a series of sustainability initiatives for new store construction.

"We conducted a top-to-bottom review of our store construction process and equipment to determine where we could operate more efficiently without diminishing the comfort and convenience of customers and Associates while maintaining reasonable costs," said Michael Dastugue, JCPenney senior vice president and director of property development. "Our new Denver store is the product of those findings. We will closely review the performance of our new sustainable building features in that location as we look to incorporate them into new stores and store renovation plans in the future."

The sustainable building features JCPenney implemented in the Denver location include:

• Exterior brick manufactured through a waste petroleum byproducts firing process; recycled-content ceiling tiles; and carpet made from 100 percent recycled material. Additionally, throughout construction, waste materials such as concrete, metal and drywall were separated and recycled.
• Local sourcing of exterior construction and landscaping materials, to minimize the carbon impact of transportation. Exterior signs that use low-wattage LED lights, and occupancy sensors to control lights in offices, restrooms, dressing rooms and stock rooms to save energy when those areas are not in use.
• Use of low volatile organic compound paints, adhesives and sealants. Low- and no-consumption plumbing fixtures throughout the store.

Additionally, JCPenney noted it is pursuing LEED certification for two new stores opening in 2008 and 2009.

Over the past five years, JCPenney says it has invested more than $75 million to install EMS technology, lighting retrofits and high-efficiency HVAC systems in stores. In 2006, these efforts resulted in year-over-year elimination of close to 31,000 tons in greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy use across all stores, even as store operating hours increased by 5 percent and net store square footage increased 2.3 percent, according to the company.

Beginning in early to mid-2008, Best Buy intends to build only eco-friendly stores.

REI recently announced that its Boulder, Colorado prototype store has reached the second phase in its expansion and renovation.

Last year, Wal-Mart released results on the energy efficiency of its experimental stores.