Eco-friendly energy to power revamped Star Market

A Star Market in Chestnut Hill will serve as a test bed for environmentally friendly technologies. (Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff)

A revamped Star Market in Chestnut Hill will serve as a test lab for the latest supermarket chain hoping to make its business practices more efficient and environmentally conscious.

The store, scheduled to open on Route 9 in Newton next year, will be powered with an energy-saving fuel cell that runs on natural gas, use an innovative refrigeration system that reduces carbon emissions, and be illuminated with light-emitting diodes that last about 10 years. If the technologies work, Supervalu, the parent company of Shaw's and Star Market, could adopt them in other stores, as well.

"What it allows us to do is save energy and save money, and it allows us to show our commitment to environmental stewardship," said Holly Angell, director of engineering for Supervalu. According to the company's website, the annual electric bills for the more than 200 Shaw's and Star Markets stores total almost $35 million. That includes power for refrigeration, air conditioning, lighting, heating, and food preparation.

Nationwide, supermarkets are trying to reduce their enormous energy costs, as well as downsize the impact they and their customers have on the environment. In addition to energy-saving technology, some - like Whole Foods Market - are providing shoppers with reusable cloth bags and locally grown or organic produce, and building their stores with sustainable materials.

Star Market officials would not say how much the Chestnut Hill project will cost, but Angell said the renovations are expected to reduce the store's carbon footprint by about 5 million pounds - the equivalent of taking 539 cars off the road - per year. Energy consumption should also drop by 211,000 kilowatt hours per year. By comparison, the typical New England house hold uses about 7,500 kilowatt hours, Angell said.

"We think that the money we invest, as we look over the lifetime of the store, will be money that we get back in energy savings," said Larry Wahlstrom, president of Shaw's and Star Market. "What we learn from this store will help us to learn and know what will help us be better environmentally in all our stores."

And there's an added bonus for the stores: The LEDs might make it harder for customers to pass the ice cream section without reaching for a pint, Wahlstrom joked.

"We actually believe that it shows the produce in the freezer cases in a better light," he said.

While the company said its Chestnut Hill store will be the first to incorporate the LEDs, a fuel cell, and super-efficient refrigeration system, other grocery chains with a presence in New England have implemented similar technologies, as well as other environmental practices.

For instance, a Whole Foods store in Connecticut is powered by a fuel cell, and the company will use one to power a store scheduled to open in Dedham next year. Also, the company plans a wind turbine for its Gloucester store.

Whole Foods has a "longstanding commitment to green building and sustainability," said Kathy Loftus, the company's global leader of sustainable engineering, maintenance, and energy management.

"Most of our Massachusetts locations divert about 85 percent of their waste [from landfills]," Loftus added.

"Everything from organic material to cardboard, shrink wrap. And it's either recycled or composted."

In Augusta, Maine, Hannaford Supermarkets is hoping to build the first supermarket to receive the highest rating, platinum, from the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program.

When finished in June, the store will be outfitted with a geothermal well, new refrigeration, and a radiant heating system to cut heating and other energy costs. It also will have a "green" roof covered with plants, as well as solar panels and natural lighting.

"We use a lot of energy in our stores, and we go through a lot of resources, and so the more we can reduce that energy and the more we can reduce that waste, the more efficient we'll be as a business," said Megan Hellstedt, Hannaford's social responsibility manager.

Erin Ailworth can be reached at eailworth@globe.com.