Retail, Food Service, & Grocery
Retail, Food Service, & Grocery
![]() |
The Retail, Food Service, and Grocery sectors spend over $41 billion on energy costs a year and represent 14 billion square feet of floorspace in the United States. Better Buildings sector partners represent 2 billion square feet of that floorspace and have saved nearly $3 billion since 2011. Through their engagement with the program, these organizations share tips and strategies for overcoming energy efficiency barriers and meeting their organization’s energy use reduction goals. |
There are many different ways to work with DOE through the Better Buildings Initiative. Explore our partnerships to find the best fit for your organization, whether your focus is energy, water, waste, or carbon.
Dealing with COVID-19 presents an unprecedented scenario for building owners, plant managers, and employees. Better Buildings has collected resources from partners, affiliates, and other organizations that may prove useful.
To date, the 900+ Better Buildings partners have saved more than 2.5 quadrillion Btus, saving more than $15 billion and 155 million tons of CO2.
Featured Solutions
![]() |
Havertys' Eastern Distribution Center Showcase Project Havertys' Eastern Distribution Center in Braselton, Georgia is an 810,000-square-foot facility that has achieved an energy savings of 29% through LED retrofits and equipment optimization.
|
|
Hannaford Supermarkets: Brandon, Vermont Showcase Project Hannaford joined Efficiency Vermont's Deep Energy Retrofit pilot program - committing to a 50% energy reduction goal at its Brandon, Vermont store - and achieved a 56% reduction in energy use with a cost savings of $135,000.
|
![]() |
H&M improved their store energy efficiency by collaborating with landlords and utilities to apply incentive dollars to retrofit HVAC rooftop units, saving approximately $2,500 per store annually. |
|
The Home Depot: Financing a Renewable and Alternative Energy Commitment Implementation Model Home Depot has taken advantage of the most appropriate market options to implement a variety of onsite and offsite renewable energy projects to help achieve its targets: 135 MW of energy through renewable and alternative sources by 2020.
|
![]() |
Ulta Beauty: Breaking the Landlord-Tenant Incentive Barrier Solutions at a Glance
Tenants and landlords often have competing incentives for efficiency practices, but Ulta Beauty has broken through this barrier with its industry-leading rooftop unit guidelines that benefit both tenant and landlord.
|
![]() |
Wendy's: Designing Efficiency for Franchisees Solutions at a Glance Wendy's Smart Family of Designs tool provides a portfolio of development options to franchisees, including buildings that fit into smaller footprints, resulting in more access to real estate, the ability to customize needs for specific trade areas, and reduce the development investment for franchisees looking to build new restaurants.
|
![]() |
This toolkit includes a selection of resources to support commercial building operations staff in making the business case to upper management for energy efficiency projects. |
![]() |
Renewable Energy Primers for Retailers Technology Info Suite The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) developed a series of renewable energy primers that provide an overview of the various pathways retailers can use to integrate renewable energy into their portfolios.
|
![]() |
Decarbonizing the Commercial Kitchen Technology Info Suite This collection of resources can support commercial kitchen operators in the shift to lower-carbon options for equipment, operations, and maintenance practices.
|
Other Resources
Case Study
Fact Sheets
Guidance
Online Library/Resource
Presentations
Report
Webinars
Additional Information
Advanced Energy Design Guides
Created by ASHRAE and its partners, the Advanced Energy Design Guides for 50% Savings offer designers and contractors the tools needed for achieving a 50% energy savings compared to buildings that meet the minimum requirements of Standard 90.1-2004. View guides for big box retail, small box retail, and grocery buildings.
Advanced Energy Retrofit Guides
The Advanced Energy Retrofit Guides (AERGs) were created to help decision makers plan, design, and implement energy improvement projects in their facilities. Guides are available for office buildings, retail buildings, and grocery buildings.
Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) - Retail Sustainability
Resources focusing on environmental sustainability issues primarily related to retail facilities and operations.
ENERGY STAR for Restaurants
EPA’s ENERGY STAR® program website for restaurants, which provides building energy management and measurement resources and tools.
Food Service Technology Center (FSTC)
The Food Service Technology Center provides energy efficiency technical advice and training to the commercial food service industry.
Consortium for Energy Efficiency's (CEE) Commercial Kitchens Initiative
Search thousands of evaluation studies, market characterizations, and relevant efficiency documents.
Sector Priorities
The Better Buildings Alliance Retail, Food Service & Grocery Steering Committee helps to set priorities for Alliance work in the sector each year. Sector activities for FY2022 will focus on the following priorities:
1) Promoting the Better Climate Challenge to the RFSG sector
2) Decarbonization of kitchen and grocery equipment through refrigeration and equipment upgrades
3) Applying Energy Management Information Systems (EMIS) portfolio-wide for better data and analytics
4) Improving access to information about cost-effective distributed energy resources (DERs), including on-site solar and power purchase agreements
5) Improving preventative maintenance for HVACR equipment
Steering Committee Members (FY2022)
- Amy Kaspar, The Wendy's Company
- Darrel Carter, T-Mobile
- Eric McCrum, Sheetz, Inc.
- Jordan Ivans, Kohl's, Inc.
- Kaela Martins, Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
- Katie Breene, Starbucks Coffee Company
- Kirk Beaudoin, adidas
- Peter Isabell, Life Time, Inc.
- Rawson Haverty, Jr., Havertys